Audience-Generated Political Memes in TikTok Comment Sections: A Roland Barthes Semiotic Analysis of Kompas TV's TikTok Account

Authors

  • Dzahira Raudhatul Zanah Department of Islamic Communication and Broadcasting, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, 55183, Indonesia
  • Twediana Budi Hapsari Department of Islamic Communication and Broadcasting, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, 55183, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12928/commicast.v7i2.17127

Keywords:

Audience participation, Digital political communication, Political memes, Semiotics, TikTok

Abstract

This study examines audience-generated memes in the TikTok comment section as a form of audience participation in digital political communication, focusing on content related to Bahlil Lahadalia on the Kompas TV account. Using a qualitative approach with Roland Barthes’ semiotic analysis, this research examines ten memes purposively selected from 26 identified meme-based comments in the comment section. Using a qualitative approach with Roland Barthes’ semiotic analysis, this research examines ten memes purposively selected from 26 identified meme-based comments in the comment section. The analysis focuses on denotation, connotation, and myth to examine how audiences construct political meanings through satire, direct criticism, humor, and sarcasm. The findings show that audiences use memes through four communication forms, political satire, direct criticism, humor, and sarcasm, to express political evaluation and criticism of public figures.  Political satire uses irony and cultural references to question political images, direct criticism conveys explicit responses to political issues and public policies, humor transforms political criticism into accessible and entertaining expressions, while sarcasm conveys sharper criticism through indirect and ironic representations. At the myth level, memes reveal broader cultural meanings, including the normalization of audience participation in shaping public images, the contestation of dominant political narratives, and the use of popular culture and internet language as shared symbolic resources. This study highlights memes as an active form of audience participation in constructing political discourse in digital spaces.

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Published

2026-09-14

How to Cite

Raudhatul Zanah, D., & Budi Hapsari, T. (2026). Audience-Generated Political Memes in TikTok Comment Sections: A Roland Barthes Semiotic Analysis of Kompas TV’s TikTok Account. COMMICAST, 7(2), 307–325. https://doi.org/10.12928/commicast.v7i2.17127

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2026): September

Section

Articles

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