Hambatan Komunikasi Pemerintah dalam Implementasi City Branding Bireuen Kota Santri

Abstract

This study analyzes communication barriers in the implementation of the "Bireuen City of Santri" branding program launched by the Bireuen Regency Government. This branding vision aims to shape the character of the Islamic community and make Bireuen a center for religious tourism and Islamic education. However, findings in the field indicate a gap between the vision and reality, characterized by community behavior that is not fully aligned with the proclaimed values. This gap indicates a communication problem that hinders the program's socialization and implementation. Using a qualitative approach with field research methods and in-depth interviews through purposive sampling, this study identified two main barriers. First, internal barriers in the form of differences in perception (frame of reference) among government agencies. Each agency has a different interpretation of the meaning of "City of Santri," thus creating dissonance and hindering the formulation of a unified message. Second, external barriers in the form of the lack of a strong legal basis, such as a regional Qanun. This condition indirectly becomes a deliberate restriction on communication that hinders the program's legitimacy, coordination, and message transmission to the public. Thus, this study concludes that the failure of the implementation of the "Santri City" branding in Bireuen was caused by multiple communication barriers, both internal and external, which mutually influenced and hampered the effectiveness of the program.