Evaluation of Public Policy and Crisis Leadership of Regional Heads at the Beginning of the Spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia in Kompas.com News

Abstract

During the early stages of the spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia, regional leaders attempted to implement appropriate policies in order to mitigate the negative effects that occurred in their respective regions. This crisis period necessitates good managerial skills and a strong leadership personality from regional leaders. Policies are developed on the basis of public ethics and are geared toward providing high- quality public services. This study used a qualitative approach that employs Robert N. Entman’s framing analysis method to examine the news text of Kompas.com in relation to the policies implemented by several regional leaders in Indonesia to control the spread of COVID-19. The results of the study show that several regional heads in Indonesia have the competence and character of crisis leadership and apply public ethics in taking and implementing policies to overcome the spread of COVID-19 in their respective regions.