NARASI PEMULIHAN CITRA PASCAKECELAKAAN RANTIS BRIMOB: ANALISIS ISI UNGGAHAN AKUN X @DIVHUMAS_POLRI

This study is motivated by the crisis faced by the Indonesian National Police (Polri) following a fatal incident involving a Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob) tactical vehicle that killed an online motorcycle taxi driver and triggered widespread public protests on the social media platform X. The study aims to describe the narrative construction of the image restoration strategy employed by the Public Relations Division of the Indonesian National Police through posts published on the X account @DivHumas_Polri, based on William L. Benoit's Image Restoration Theory. This research employs a qualitative approach using descriptive content analysis of 16 official posts published during the peak of the crisis, from August 28 to September 4, 2025. The findings indicate that the Indonesian National Police completely abandoned denial narratives and shifted toward an accommodative, victim-centered crisis communication approach. The message construction was predominantly characterized by the reducing offensiveness strategy, emphasizing emotional, humanitarian, and religious appeals. Furthermore, the image restoration effort was reinforced through the corrective action strategy, which involved law enforcement measures and procedural evaluations, as well as the mortification strategy through the public expression of an official apology. This synthesis demonstrates that transparency and social concern are essential elements in mitigating reputational crises faced by public institutions in the digital era.