Construction of Narratives on The Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Program on Social Media: A Framing Study of Supportive and Critical Content

Abstract

The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) is a government policy aimed at improving the nutritional quality of the population and has become a widely discussed issue on social media. This study aims to analyze audience reception of the MBG Program through netizen comments on TikTok using Stuart Hall’s reception theory. The study employed a qualitative approach with a reception analysis method. Data were collected through non-participant observation and documentation of netizen comments, then analyzed using the Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña model and validated through data triangulation. The findings indicate that audience reception was divided into three categories: the dominant-hegemonic position, negotiated position, and oppositional position. The oppositional position emerged as the most dominant category, comprising 46 comments, indicating that most netizens understood the intended objectives of the MBG Program but rejected the dominant meaning offered and constructed alternative interpretations based on their views of policy priorities, economic conditions, and program effectiveness. These findings confirm that audiences actively participate in interpreting media messages and demonstrate that public reception of the MBG Program in digital spaces remains characterized by criticism and differing perspectives