Editorial Strategies as Gatekeeping Practices in Headline Selection: A Hierarchy of Influence Analysis of Radarbogor.Id.

The rapid transformation of digital journalism has intensified the strategic role of headlines as the primary gateway through which audiences encounter news content. In online media environments, headline selection functions not merely as a stylistic practice but as a critical form of editorial gatekeeping shaped by multiple layers of influence. This study examines how editorial strategies operate as gatekeeping practices in headline selection at Radarbogor.id, a local online news outlet in Indonesia. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with key editorial actors, non-participant observation of published headlines, and document analysis. The analysis was guided by the Hierarchy of Influence framework, which conceptualizes gatekeeping as the outcome of interacting influences at the individual, routine, organizational, extramedia, and social system levels. The findings reveal that headline selection at Radarbogor.id is shaped by the editor’s professional experience and ethical judgment, standardized newsroom routines, organizational policies such as anti-clickbait rules, external pressures from political actors, advertisers, and social media dynamics, as well as broader socio-cultural norms. These influences interact dynamically, positioning headline selection as a negotiated editorial practice rather than an isolated decision. This study contributes to digital journalism scholarship by demonstrating that headline construction represents a central site of gatekeeping where professional values, institutional constraints, and societal responsibilities converge, particularly within the context of local online media.