Trial By Social Media In The Enforcement Of Criminal Law: An Analysis Of The Impact Of Virality On Public Opinion In The Case Of Teacher Supriyani In South Konawe
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35335/legal.v15i4.1712Keywords:
Trial by Social Media, Criminal Law, Teacher SupriyaniAbstract
The rise of social media has transformed the way public opinion is formed regarding criminal cases and given rise to the phenomenon of ‘trial by social media’, namely social judgement before the judicial process has reached a verdict. This study analyses the construction of virality, the influence of public opinion on perceptions of law enforcement, and the limits of social media’s influence in the case of Teacher Supriyani in South Konawe, using a normative legal methodology with legislative and conceptual approaches and descriptive-qualitative analysis of legal materials and literature to examine the relationship between public scrutiny, institutional accountability, and fair-trial principles. Virality can broaden public attention and spur demands for accountability, but may also shape judgements based on unverified information, and its temporal relationship with institutional responses is insufficient to prove causation. The study emphasises the need for evidence-based law enforcement, proportional transparency, the protection of all parties’ rights, and judicial independence. These findings imply that transparent law enforcement requires timely, proportionate and verifiable official communication, while independent law enforcement requires that decisions on investigation, detention, prosecution and adjudication remain grounded in evidence and legal authority rather than in the popularity of a narrative
Downloads
References
Aldin, Mpesau, A., Dagani, G., Ruslan, & Rosidin, A. (2026). PEREDARAN NARKOTIKA TANPA KONTAK LANGSUNG: STUDI KRIMINOLOGIS TERHADAP MODUS “MENEMPEL” DI KAWASAN LORONG JATI KOTA KENDARI. Jurnal Hukum Lex Generalis, 7(12), 1–28.
Aldin, Mpesau, A., & Ishak, W. I. (2026). Non-Conviction Based Asset Forfeiture, RUU Perampasan Aset; Asset Recovery, Hak Konstitusional, Sequential Constitutional Control. Journal of Law and Legal Studies, 1(2). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.67707/lexara.v1i2.278
Aziz, A. S. (2017). REKONSEPTUALISASI TAFSIR ASAS PRADUGA TAK BERSALAH. Iqtisad: Reconstruction of Justice and Welfare for Indonesia, 4(1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.31942/iq.v4i1.1998
Bari, H. M. F. (2014). Media trial in Bangladesh: Free press vs. fair trial. Media Asia, 41(2), 124–127. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/01296612.2014.11690006
Berger, J., & Milkman, K. L. (2012). What Makes Online Content Viral? Journal of Marketing Research, 49(2), 192–205. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.10.0353
Borman, M. S. (2017). INDEPENDENSI KEKUASAAN KEHAKIMAN DARI PENGARUH KEKUASAAN DI INDONESIA. Lex Journal?: Kajian Hukum Dan Keadilan, 1(1), 30–49. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.25139/lex.v1i1.233
Brady, W. J., Julian A. Wills, J. T. J., & Bavel, J. J. Van. (2017). Emotion shapes the diffusion of moralized content in social networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(28), 7313–7318. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1618923114
Busthami, D. (2017). KEKUASAAN KEHAKIMAN DALAM PERSPEKTIF NEGARA HUKUM DI INDONESIA. Masalah-Masalah Hukum, 46(4), 336–342. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.14710/mmh.46.4.2017.336-342
Cinelli, M., Morales, G. D. F., Galeazzi, A., & Starnini, M. (2021). The echo chamber effect on social media. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(9). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023301118
Elfaiz, F., Zahri, S., Wardhana, A. W., & Sastro, H. (2025). Criminal Law Consequences of Freedom of Expression on Social Media According to Law Number 1 of 2024 Concerning the Second Amendment to Law Number 11 of 2008 Concerning Electronic Information and Transactions. Journal of Correctional Issues, 8(1), 258–266. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.52472/jci.v8i1.536
Entman, R. M. (1993). Framing: Toward Clarification of a Fractured Paradigm. Journal of Communication, 43(4), 51–58. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1993.tb01304.x
Entman, R. M. (2007). Framing Bias: Media in the Distribution of Power. Journal of Communication, 57(1), 163–173. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00336.x
Faisol, F. (2021). Penerapan Hukum Progresif dalam Penegakan Tindak Pidana Kekerasan Terhadap Anak Yang Dilakukan Oleh Guru Terhadap Murid. Journal of Education and Religious Studies, 1(03), 115–126. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.57060/jers.v1i03.51
Greer, C., & McLaughlin, E. (2011). ‘Trial by media’: Policing, the 24-7 news mediasphere and the ‘politics of outrage.’ Theoretical Criminology, 15(1), 23–46. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/1362480610387461
Greer, C., & McLaughlin, E. (2012). ‘This is not Justice’: Ian Tomlinson, Institutional Failure and the Press Politics of Outrage. The British Journal of Criminology, 52(2), 274–293. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azr086
Habermas, J. (2006). Political Communication in Media Society: Does Democracy Still Enjoy an Epistemic Dimension? The Impact of Normative Theory on Empirical Research. Communication Theory, 16(4), 411–426. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2006.00280.x
Johansyah’, J., & Roni, A. (2023). ASAS PRADUGA TAK BERSALAH DALAM PROSES PENYIDIKAN. Solusi, 21(1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.36546/solusi.v21i1.805
Lazer, D. M. J., Baum, M. A., Benkler, Y., Berinsk, A. J., & Zittrain, J. L. (2018). The science of fake news. Science, 359(6380), 1094–1096. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aao2998
Marzuki, P. M. (2017). Penelitian hukum. kencana.
Mpesau, A., & Ruslan. (2026a). IMPLICATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT’S DECISION ON THE SEPARATION OF NATIONAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS FOR INDONESIAN ELECTION LAW POLITICS. Multidiciplinary Output Research For Actual and International Issue, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20322944
Mpesau, A., & Ruslan, R. (2026b). Dissension in Court Decisions Concerning Minimum Age Requirement for Regional Head Candidacy (A Study of Political Configuration Influences on Judicial Power). Sociological Jurisprudence Journal, 9(1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.22225/scj.9.1.2026.1-13
Mpesau, A., Ruslan, R., & Rosidin, A. (2026). Keadilan Pemilu Dalam Penanganan Bawaslu Sulawesi Tenggara Laporan Ijazah Palsu Calon Legislatif Kota Kendari. Jurnal Ilmu Manajemen Sosial Humaniora, 8(2), 159–175. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.51454/jimsh.v8i2.1648
Muammar, M. (2024). Quo Vadis Penegakan Hukum Bermartabat: Kritik Terhadap Penegakan Hukum Berlandaskan Stigma No Viral No Justic. PAMALI, 4(2). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.47268/pamali.v4i2.2247
Nakamnanu, M. D. (2023). PRADUGA TAK BERSALAH DAN PRADUGA BERSALAH DALAM PROSES PENEGAKAN HUKUM PIDANA DI INDONESIA OLEH KEPOLISIAN. Justitia et Pax, 39(2), 413–441. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24002/jep.v39i2.8186
Negara, D. S., & Susilo, E. (2025). Independensi Kekuasaan Kehakiman Dalam Menjatuhkan Putusan Ditinjau Dari Perspektif Undang-Undang Sebagai Perjanjian. Mimbar Hukum, 37(1), 83–106. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.22146/mh.v37i1.18891
Papacharissi, Z. (2002). The virtual sphere: The internet as a public sphere. New Media & Society, 4(1), 9–27. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/14614440222226244
Ponton. (2020). Trial by (social) media. In Social Media in Legal Practice (pp. 18–30). Routledge. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429346088-2
Prasetyo, D., & Herawati, R. (2022). Tinjauan Sistem Peradilan Pidana Dalam Konteks Penegakan Hukum dan Perlindungan Hak Asasi Manusia Terhadap Tersangka di Indonesia. Jurnal Pembangunan Hukum Indonesia, 4(3), 402–417. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.14710/jphi.v4i3.402-417
Sari, N. (2020). RETRACTION: TRIAL BY THE PRESS TERHADAP PROSES PERADILAN TINDAK PIDANA KORUPSI DALAM PERSPEKTIF ASAS PRADUGA TIDAK BERSALAH. Rio Law Jurnal, 1(2). https://doi.org/DOI: https://doi.org/10.36355/rlj.v1i2.408
Scheufele, D. A., & Tewksbury, D. (2007). Framing, Agenda Setting, and Priming: The Evolution of Three Media Effects Models. Journal of Communication, 57(1), 9–20. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0021-9916.2007.00326.x
Sudirman, L., & Antony. (2023). PERAN MEDIA SOSIAL SEBAGAI ALAT PENCAPAIAN SUARA KEADILAN DALAM PENEGAKAN HUKUM DI INDONESIA?: NO VIRAL NO JUSTICE. Paulus Law Journa, 5(1), 16–40. https://doi.org/https://ojs.ukipaulus.ac.id/index.php/plj/article/view/513
Suprapto, & Suhendar, T. A. (2025). Tinjauan Yuridis Penerapan Asas Praduga Tak Bersalah dalam Trial by the press pada Proses Peradilan Pidana. Hukum Dan Demokras, 25(1), 46–63. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.61234/hd.v25i1.91
Triwiyanto, T., Suhartono, S., & Suhartono, S. (2023). Perlindungan Hukum Dan Upaya Melawan Kekerasan Terhadap Guru: Peran Penting Negara Dan Organisasi Profesi. Proceedings Series of Educational Studies. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17977/um083.7908
Tyler, T. R. (2003). Procedural Justice, Legitimacy, and the Effective Rule of Law. Crime and Justice, 30. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1086/652233
Vosoughi, S., Roy, D., & Aral, S. (2018). The spread of true and false news online. Science, 359(6380), 1146–1151. https://doi.org/0.1126/science.aap9559
Yatnih, E. F. (2024). Pengaruh Media Sosial Terhadap Persepsi Dan Penegakan Hukum Pidana?: Dampak Media Sosial Terhadap Opini Publik, Proses Hukum Dan Keadilan Pidana. EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW, 4(2). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.36232/equalitybeforethelaw.v4i2.451
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 LEGAL BRIEF
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
