Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian government has expressed concern
over the spread of false news through various social media platforms and
has vowed to tackle the menace by empowering its institutions, such as
the State Cipher Institute (LSN).
To this end, the government supports the establishment of the
Anti-Hoax Journalists Network (JAWAH) by the mainstream media that is
believed to help counter the spread of fake news and other forms of
false information.
The spread of hoax messages through the social media can create
confusion and doubts about the veracity of the information, among
others. Irresponsible parties can thus exploit this confusion to sow
hatred and create disunity and hostility among the people.
According to Chief Political and Security Minister Wiranto, it is
quite dangerous if advanced technology and the cyber world are misused
for carrying out criminal activities. Terrorists, for instance, can use
it to develop networks and spread information to their members on ways
to assemble bombs.
Hence, early this year, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had ordered
Wiranto to establish the National Cyber Agency to help overcome the
threat of fake news that aims to spread slanderous messages and hatred
through social media.
"This encourages us to establish an institution, such as the
National Cyber Agency, to deter threats in the cyber world. Due to the
less favorable financial condition of the state, we are trying to
develop and empower the existing institutions, notably the LSN," Wiranto
noted at a meeting of postgraduate students in Jakarta as quoted by
Liputan6.com on Mar 16.
In its efforts to support the war against hoax messages, the
Indonesian government is currently also hosting an event to commemorate
World Press Freedom Day in cooperation with the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on May 1 to 4 in
Jakarta.
As part of this momentum, the Indonesian journalists of the
mainstream media have set up the Anti-Hoax Journalist Network (JAWAH) to
fight the spread of hoax messages. Communications and Information
Technology Minister Rudiantara has lauded the establishment of the
JAWAH.
"I praise all efforts made by different communities and regional
governments to address the circulation of hoax messages. Now, the
mainstream media has set up the JAWAH network," the communication and
information technology minister remarked after attending the declaration
of the establishment of JAWAH at the Vice Presidential Office on Friday
last week (Apr 28).
The declaration of the JAWAH network, which was initiated by the
Indonesian Journalists Association, was also attended by Vice President
M. Jusuf Kalla (JK).
Rudiantara said the involvement of the mainstream media is very
effective in fighting hoax, as it has qualified human resources to
verify facts, both through journalists on the field and editors in
editorial rooms.
"Hoax messages mostly spread through online media. Print media has
sufficient time to conduct (a detailed analysis) or cover both sides,"
Rudiantara pointed out.
Thus, the mainstream media has a bigger responsibility to provide
facts in its online dispatches. Based on the verification of the Press
Council, of the 40 thousand media organizations, some 30 are online
media. This is a huge responsibility," Rudiantara remarked. Hence, the
campaign against the spread of false news should continue to be carried
out.
Indonesian Press Council Chief Yosef Adi Prasetyo stated that
the campaign against hoax in Indonesia is not only the responsibility
of the reporters or media practitioner but also the people, through
their involvement in public information.
" No matter whether you are a bureaucrat, politician, professional,
or even a housewife, fake news attacks everyone. We should fight
against it efficiently," Yosef noted.
Fake news or hoax is not just seen in Indonesia but also in other countries such as European countries and United States.
A survey conducted by Secretary of the Indonesian Journalists
Associations Honorary Board Wina Armada Sukardi revealed that of all
false news circulating in the community, those related to health issues
are the most dominant.
"False news (hoax) on health is prevalently floated around, and
such hoax news tends to be shared by their readers due to a lack of
information on the issue," he stated during the commemoration of World
Press Freedom Day in Jakarta, Monday.
Some 27 percent out of a thousand hoax information evaluated for a
year, starting from February 2016, indicated that the false news were
related to health.
Of all the circulated fake news, political issues ranked second,
at 22 percent; followed by entertainment-related news, at 15 percent;
and the rest were related to business competitions and other
miscellaneous issues.
The low level of literacy has led several people to believe in
hoax or fake news, Chief Editor of Trans Media Titin Rosmasari, a
speaker at the World Press Freedom Day event, stated on Monday.
"Todays generation prefers to use their gadgets rather than reading
books," she stated at a seminar held at the Jakarta Convention Center
(JCC) in Jakarta ahead of International Press Freedom Day commemorated
annually on May 3.
She said the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organizations (UNESCOs) records in 2012 estimated that Indonesias
literacy level had reached merely 0.001, indicating that out of every
thousand people, only one individual had actively read books.
According to Director General of Culture of the Ministry of
Education and Culture Hilmar Farid said early this year many were still
unable to differentiate between fake and real news.
Even professors, doctors and academicians were likely to believe
the information available on the social media, Farid added.
"The social media has an extraordinary influence. A false piece of
information, which is given a picture and a title, can spread quickly
(after it is uploaded)," the director general said.
Usually, those who believe in hoax materials belong to the
transitional generation. There are many professors and doctors who
believe in such false news (disseminated through social media), a
research conducted by Farid with the Ministry of Communication and
Informatics (Kominfo) in 2015, found out.
The victims of hoax and misleading short message services (SMSs)
are mostly those who have high intelligence, the research revealed.
This generation was born before the onset of (information)
technology and were exposed to it only at an adult age, Farid said while
explaining the transitional generation.
"Adversely, children who were born after the advent of the
(information) technology do not believe in hoaxes easily. These children
are more selective, because they are able to trace the sources of the
news with the help of technology," Farid affirmed. (WDY)
Indonesia Goes All Out to Fight Spread of Hoax
Rabu, 3 Mei 2017 15:37 WIB