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On discussing political manipulation on the internet, there has been not enough examination on how propaganda is performed by the persons tasked to do the work. This paper looks at the performance of political buzzers: individuals employed to manage several social media accounts to disseminate information concerning electoral candidates.

The paper argues that the lives of digital propaganda cannot be isolated from Indonesian post-authoritarian experience, where political participation has been limited only to electoral ballot. Being a political buzzer allows a certain kind of civic engagement, where the performers gain a sense of agency in directing political narratives.

Keywords: muddle, political participation, political astroturfing, digital propaganda