Involving Kyai and Thug Networks in Oil and Gas Company CSR Communication

This paper explores local partners’ communication strategies in the ExxonMobil Cepu Limited CSR program in Bojonegoro Regency, East Java. The research data comes from in-depth interviews with 25 informants. They consist of representatives of oil and gas companies, governments, journalists, NGOs, and Corporate Social Responsibility beneficiaries. The results show that the local partner’s strategy in building symmetrical two-way communication with stakeholders can be understood at three levels. First, there is the process of social integration. The involvement of local elites, kyai, thug networks, and a grassroots approach in CSR communication is part of social integration. Second, there is social protection. The participatory communication network that has been built in the initial phase ultimately gives rise to a commitment to protect the program run by local partners. The depth of the relationship between local partners and stakeholders forms the third level, relations and social cohesion that give birth to a relationship of give and take.