Village Fund Corruption from the Perspective of Central Sulawesi Netizens: A Netnography Study on Social Media and Online Forums

Abstract

This study examines how netizens in Central Sulawesi interpret and respond to the phenomenon of village fund corruption through digital interactions on social media and online forums. Using netnography, this study examines comments, posts, and online conversations about the misuse of village funds across various digital platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and local community forums. Data were collected over one month through online monitoring by searching for keywords such as "village fund corruption," "village head arrested," and "village development budget." The results show that the digital space has become a new arena for the public to express their opinions, engage in social criticism, and exercise moral oversight over village administration. Netizens in Central Sulawesi not only express anger and cynicism toward corrupt village officials but also develop unique forms of expression, such as humor, sarcasm, and moral satire, as collective means of voicing social protest. The discourse that emerged indicates that social media and online forums function as spaces for participatory social control, in which the community monitors the performance of village government officials and demands transparency and accountability in the management of public funds. This study confirms that village fund corruption is a multidimensional social phenomenon, not merely a violation of the law, but also a reflection of weak oversight structures and declining public trust in local institutions. Thus, community digital participation has excellent potential to strengthen clean, open, and responsive village governance in the digital age.