Impoliteness Strategies in Indonesian Political Journalism: A Pragmatic Analysis of Bocor Alus Politik
Abstract
This study examines the use of impoliteness strategies in a political discussion program entitled “Diplomasi Ambyar Sugiono dalam Kendali Prabowo | Bocor Alus Politik” published on the Tempodotco YouTube channel. The study aims to identify the types of impoliteness strategies used by professional journalists and to explain how these strategies function within political and diplomatic discourse. A qualitative descriptive method was applied, following Creswell’s approach to qualitative research. The data consist of 28 spoken utterances containing impoliteness strategies, which were collected through observation and documentation techniques. The utterances were transcribed and analyzed using (Culpeper, 2011) impoliteness framework. The findings reveal that all five types of impoliteness strategies appear in the data: positive impoliteness, negative impoliteness, mock politeness or sarcasm, bald on record impoliteness, and withhold politeness. Positive impoliteness is the most dominant strategy, indicating that journalists frequently attack public image, credibility, and professional competence when evaluating political leadership and diplomatic performance. The results also show that impoliteness is used deliberately as a pragmatic resource rather than as an emotional reaction. Through impolite expressions, journalists construct criticism, question institutional authority, and guide audience interpretation of complex political issues. This study contributes to pragmatic and discourse studies by showing that impoliteness is normalized in professional investigative journalism, not only in informal online interactions. The findings highlight the strategic role of impoliteness in Indonesian digital political media, particularly in long-form political discussions on YouTube.
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