COMMUNICATION MECHANISMS STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL TRUST IDENTITY AND PERCEIVED SECURITY THROUGH GOVERNANCE

Abstract

This study examines the structural relationships among media agenda, media framing, institutional trust, social identity, and perceived security through a variance-based Structural Equation Modeling approach using SMART PLS-SEM. The research is grounded in communication theory, institutional governance, and social identity perspectives, proposing that communication processes shape perceptions of security through cognitive and institutional mechanisms. A quantitative, cross-sectional, and explanatory design was implemented using a structured questionnaire administered to adult participants. The measurement model consisted of five reflective latent constructs represented by twenty-five indicators measured on a seven-point Likert scale. Content validity was established through expert judgment, while reliability and construct validity were evaluated using indicator loadings, Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability, average variance extracted, and discriminant validity. The structural model estimated direct and indirect relationships among latent variables using bootstrapping procedures. The results demonstrated that media agenda and media framing significantly explained institutional trust and social identity, while both mediating constructs positively influenced perceived security. Institutional trust emerged as the strongest predictor of perceived security, followed by social identity, confirming the mediating role of institutional legitimacy and collective belonging in communication effects. The model exhibited satisfactory explanatory power, predictive relevance, and robust psychometric properties, supporting the proposed theoretical framework. These findings contribute to the integration of communication studies, governance research, and structural equation modeling by demonstrating that communication influences public security perceptions through interconnected institutional and social processes rather than isolated direct effects. The proposed SMART PLS-SEM model offers a comprehensive analytical framework applicable to future investigations addressing governance, political communication, institutional performance, and multidimensional public policy evaluation.