Audience Decoding Position on the Use of Language and Humor in Gus Miftah's Lectures

Abstract

Purpose − The high average screen time and number of TikTok users in Indonesia indicate a change in the communication patterns of society. Da'wah practices in the contemporary era have also evolved. Da'wah is now delivered through digital access. The context of digital da'wah in the contemporary era requires not only visual beauty, but also the right strategy. This study departs from the strategy of using language and humor in da'wah, which is still a matter of debate, because not all circles accept the use of humor in da'wah in the same way. Gus Miftah is one of the preachers who receives mixed responses from his audience because of the language and humor he uses in his speech.This study aims to examine the audience's response to the use of language and humor in Gus Miftah's preaching, as well as the meanings that emerge from the audience's response to the language and humor in Gus Miftah's preaching.

Method − This research is a descriptive qualitative study using an audience reception approach. The reception approach refers to the understanding that the dynamics of message reception cannot be understood solely through the process of message production and delivery, but also through how the audience receives, understands, interprets, and negotiates the meaning of the message.

Findings − The results of the study show that based on the classification using Stuart Hall's reception model, the dominance of audience comments was in the opposition position, followed by the dominant hegemony position, and opposition.