Topicalization and Political Representation Strategies in the 2024 Election Campaign Banners: A Critical Discourse Analysis Approach

Abstract

This articel the use of topicalization as a linguistic strategy in the 2024 Indonesian election campaign banners. Employing Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis approach, the research analyzes how political actors structure their slogans by foregrounding certain elements to construct ideological narratives and project political identity. Based on 20 banners documented across Surakarta, the findings are classified into nine topicalization strategies: (1) ideal values and visionary leadership, (2) populist and people-oriented imagery, (3) discourse of change and improvement, (4) nationalism and collective action, (5) social identity and local representation, (6) gender mainstreaming and women's representation, (7) ethical and moral political discourse, (8) emotional and popular language, and (9) affiliation with political figures or parties as legitimacy claims. These strategies indicate that topicalization serves not only as a syntactic technique but also as a powerful rhetorical tool in shaping political communication. The study concludes that topicalization in visual campaign media is central to building persuasive political imagery. Future studies are encouraged to explore multimodal elements and audience reception to gain a deeper understanding of political discourse.