Construction of the Mayor's Image in the Digital Space: Analysis of Netizen Comments on Eri Cahyadi’s Culvert Project Evaluation Video on Instagram

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the image construction of Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi in the digital space through netizen comments on an Instagram post featuring an evaluation of a culvert project. The research data comes from 213 comments successfully exported using ESUIT from a post that sparked a much broader public conversation, with a total reported interaction of 2,708 comments, 292 reposts, and 625 video shares. This study used a qualitative-descriptive approach with thematic content analysis techniques to identify patterns of meaning in netizen comments. The results revealed four main themes: requests for infrastructure improvements, criticism of governance, support for the mayor, and public satire or anger. These findings demonstrate that the mayor's image is not formed solely by visual posts but is instead negotiated through public interactions assessing the leader's performance, accountability, and emotional closeness. Thus, the Instagram comment space functions as an arena for social evaluation and public audit of local leadership