A Multimodal Semiotic Analysis of Roland Barthes on the Text and Cover of the Book Konflik Jawa Pos (The Jawa Pos Conflict)

Abstract

This study analyzed multimodal data—comprising narrative text and the book cover—from the work by Bahari (a former Jawa Pos journalist) titled Konflik Jawa Pos, Pasca Pecah Kongsi Dahlan Iskan vs Goenawan Mohamad (The Jawa Pos Conflict: After the Dahlan Iskan–Goenawan Mohamad Split), employing Roland Barthes’ semiotics across three levels: denotation, connotation, and myth. Unlike previous studies that utilized Van Dijk’s critical discourse analysis and focused on linguistic structures, this research incorporates the book cover as a paratextual element within the analysis corpus. At the level of denotation, the book represents the dissolution of the partnership between Dahlan Iskan and Goenawan Mohamad through its subtitle and the narrative regarding the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (EGMS). At the level of connotation, an asymmetry of voice is observed in the presentation of nepotism allegations: accusations against the Goenawan faction are conveyed directly by the narrator, whereas accusations against Dahlan employ passive-attributive constructions. The color gradation of the subtitle ribbon (blue–yellow–red) also connotes an escalation of the conflict. At the level of myth, the Dahlan faction is naturalized through the label "Sakura Dynasty," and Dahlan is constructed as a "betrayed founding hero," thereby framing a structural conflict over share ownership as a personal drama. The findings indicate that this naturalization occurs through attribution asymmetry, instructional cues, paratextual color design, and "staged-balance" interviews. This study demonstrates that journalistic texts and visual paratexts can reproduce media ownership biases through seemingly neutral semiotic mechanisms.