The Effectiveness of Online Petitions About Environmental Issues on The Change.org Site Users

Asian Journal of Media and Communication E-ISSN: 2579-6119, P-ISSN: 2579-6100 Volume 3, Number 1, April 2019 The Effectiveness of Online Petitions About Environmental Issues on The Change.org Site Users Widiastiana Vista Wijaya1, Edy Prihantoro2, Sugiharti Binastuti3 1Student of Magister of Communication Science, Gunadarma University Jalan Margonda Raya No. 100, Depok, Indonesia, 081399922887, 2 Lecturer at Gunadarma University, Jalan Margonda Raya No. 100, Depok, Indonesia, 3 Lecture at Gunadarma University, Jalan Margonda Raya No. 100, Depok, Indonesia, Abstract Environmental problems are issues vital to human life and other living creatures. Through the development of technology and information, the public can be engaged in massive street protests against the parties who should be responsible for damage to the environment and environmental protection campaign. During 2018, environmental issues became popular topic at the online petition on the Change.org website. “Seruan Penetapan Hari Hutan Indonesia” is a themed online petition environmental issues that have the support of more than 538 thousand signatures. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of an online petition on Change.org environmental issues at the site using a measurement EPIC (Empathy, Persuasion, Impact, Communication) Model. The quantitative research approach to use the paradigm of positivism. Methods of data collection are done through questionnaires to 100 followers Instagram account Change.org. The results showed that the online petition on environmental issues is the first dimension of empathy, of the affection and cognition, the saturation level that online petitions on environmental issues can be accepted by users. Secondly, persuasion dimension, related to changes in confidence and the desire to behave, familiarize yourself that users have the perception that online petitions on environmental issues right on the website Change.org. Third, the impact dimension, namely knowledge and involvement of the message effective, though users do not always share information petition to social media or instant messaging applications. Fourth, the dimensions of communication, messages and the user's understanding of environmental issues online petition which was signed on the website Change.org. Based on the results of the study prove that the theory of S-O-R (Stimulus-Organism-Response), namely the higher the level of attention on stimulus in the form of empathy and persuasion of the message delivered, the more effective the impact and communication carried out by Change.org Instagram active users. Keywords: Online Petition, Environmental Issues, EPIC Model, Effectiveness 41 Volume 3, Number 1, April 2019 1. Introduction Environmental pollution, global warming, climate change, the decadence of biodiversity and natural resources are an environmental issue raise human consciousness to environmental sustainability. Environmental problems caused a less supportive environment for human life. The Environment is often called unity with all things space, power, state, and living creatures, including humans and their behavior (BPS, 2017, p.3). It will affect the wellbeing of humans and the global economic order. Knowledge and understanding of the condition and quality are very important as a basic policy of a country to exploit the potential of the environment that is focused on improving people's welfare. Through the development of technology and information, the public can be engaged in massive street protests against the parties who should be responsible for damage to the environment and environmental protection campaign. One Internet-based protest today is the emergence of online petitions on environmental issues via website Change.org website. The workflow is done by Change.org as a medium to unite the claim by gathering as much support. The process begins by creating an online petition at www.change.org website. Subsequently, disseminated via social media and all persons have the right to participate by signing the petition. Utilization of online petitions is used to channel the aspirations of the people. The support provided through the signing of the petition will be sent automatically to the target petition. Community initiatives, to initiate and support the online petition on a particular issue is an order of participation. During 2018, the site Change.org has increased significantly the number of votes of 4 million users last year to 6.5 million (www.change.org, accessed on February 2nd, 2019 at 20:30 pm). Environmental issues become the most popular topics online petition on the website Change.org petition with the amount of more than 2 million. The environmental issues petition with the big support, for example are a petition for land burning companies that are still being punished or a petition supporting two expert witnesses who sued IPB lecturers. An online petition at most supports the theme of 42 environmental issues, namely on "Seruan Penetapan Hari Hutan Indonesia" for the support of more than 413 thousand signatures. The phenomenon was triggered Minister of Environment and Forestry (LHK) actively respond to the voices of public demand through features in Change Response Decision Maker. Achievement of the objectives set by the Change.org site closely related to promotional activities. Effectiveness and efficient campaign carried out directly or indirectly affect the public intention to sign the petition in support. The workflows which done by Change.org be repeated cycles, starting from dissemination to social media owned by people who have signed the petition. A petition that have signed will be send to the e-mail of petitioner. If there are more people who signed the petition, there will be more the message sent to the e-mail petitioner. Change.org petition system remains function like as the conventional petition. The people who signed the petition will rely on social media to get information to participate. The promotional activities can be considered effective if it gets a fast response in accordance with the purpose of Change.org. The purpose of this promotion is to stimulate awareness and relevance, so to gain the act of signing by the people on certain petitions. According to Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI), effectiveness is a word form of securities. It is the effect or impression, success, efficacy. Effectiveness refers to the level of achievement of results. To create the necessary attitude promotional activity capability, a message can be understood in depth by the user. Therefore, the promotion process will affect the cognitive, affective and conative. Durianto (2003, p.15) stated that the effectiveness of media campaigns which related to the recall and persuasion, can be explain with the EPIC study model developed by AC Nielsen. The EPIC model consists of empathy, persuasion, impact, and communication. Dimensions of empathy is a mental state that makes a per (...truncated)