Navigating Crisis in Digital Public Spaces : PT KAI’s Communication Strategy on Instagram @keretaapikita After the East Bekasi Accident

Authors

  • Kurnia Puspita Dewi Faculty of Literature, Culture, and Communication, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Yogyakarta, 55198, Indonesia
  • Iva Fikrani Deslia Faculty of Literature, Culture, and Communication, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Yogyakarta, 55198, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12928/commicast.v7i2.17108

Keywords:

Crisis communication, Train accidents, SCCT

Abstract

Crisis communication is crucial for public transportation companies, especially when a crisis results in loss of life. This study analyzes PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI) crisis communication via its Instagram account @keretaapikita following the train accident in East Bekasi using Coombs’ Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT). This study contributes to the field of crisis communication by examining SCCT strategies in official Instagram content and the presence of several indicators within a single carousel post. Using a descriptive qualitative content analysis, this study examined 12 purposively selected Instagram posts published between April 28 and May 9, 2026, analyzed for their visual elements and captions following the Miles and Huberman model. The findings indicated that PT KAI's response was structured around accountability rather than defensiveness: Rebuild and Bolstering were the dominant response clusters, evidenced by the Compensation indicator appearing in all 12 posts and the Reminder indicator in 10 posts, while the Diminish indicator (Justification) appeared in only 3 posts and the Deny strategy did not appear at all. Several indicators frequently co-occurred within a single carousel post rather than standing alone, suggesting that the account combined factual explanation, compensation, and emotional solidarity as a deliberate, mutually reinforcing response rather than as isolated, ad hoc tactics. Taken together, PT KAI’s crisis communication emphasized accountability rather than denial, providing a reference for public transportation companies seeking to develop more accountable social media crisis communication.

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Published

2026-09-14

How to Cite

Puspita Dewi, K., & Fikrani Deslia, I. (2026). Navigating Crisis in Digital Public Spaces : PT KAI’s Communication Strategy on Instagram @keretaapikita After the East Bekasi Accident. COMMICAST, 7(2), 258–275. https://doi.org/10.12928/commicast.v7i2.17108

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2026): September

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