By: Rahmat Kartolo ) *
Press and genersi young ( millennial ) is an important factor in reducing hoaks increasingly troubling. The press is the frontline in counteracting the hoax by presenting valid information regarding an event. Meanwhile, g enerasi millennial is a digital native is expected to dampen the negative news by posting positive in social media.
Dissemination of information every second moves very quickly in almost all lines. In this digital age, social media has become a necessity of one’s life. You can easily access unlimited online news without having to wait for news from the print media. This of course will affect po s itif if the general public to use it wisely.
As one of the media for socializing, it would be very sensitive if someone spreads news that is not in accordance with the facts. The wide reach of social media will make it easy for hoaxes to spread in seconds. This is of course very disturbing for anyone who reads it, especially the parties concerned.
In this highly sophisticated era, many individuals or groups deliberately spread hoaxes to achieve their respective goals. If a lot of people spread the hoax, then the “bad guy” will feel happy because what he hoped actually happened.
Hoax was created with a specific purpose and purpose. As for several purposes, including pitting individual or group sheep, defaming and spreading slander, creating social panic, and inciting certain groups to cause war. These four things are certainly very detrimental.
The most commonly spread hoax, namely regarding health, racial intolerance, and social politics. These issues are considered to be the most powerful problems and patents to divide groups and individuals. A total of 62.10% of hoak was distributed through writing, 37.50% through pictures, and 0.40% through video. In addition, social media is one of the most widely spread hoaxes.
To overcome this, of course it takes education to the public to be more observant in absorbing the news. The way to do this is by increasing public interest in reading which is currently still low. High reading interest can help reason to process information more observant, so that the spread of hoaxes can be avoided.
Then, how to fight the hoax itself? One reliable solution is to utilize the press as one of the information media. According to Chairman of the Press Council, Yosep Adi Prasetyo, pers have an important role in preventing hoaxes because the media can be a reference material for the public to ensure the truth of the information obtained. That way, people can easily absorb information factually.
Steps that must be taken, the press must present factual and impartial news. The method is that they must educate the Indonesian people with news that is in accordance with the facts. To get news that is in accordance with facts, the press must take various actions.
Action that can be done by the press in the fight against hoaxes, namely by verifying. When getting news, reporters should contact the parties concerned, if necessary go to the scene. For example, when an accident occurs, the reporter must go directly to the scene without having to take information from social media whose truth is uncertain.
The role of the press in combating hoaxes can also be done by obtaining data from more than one informant. Each resource person will be asked for information on the issues currently being widely circulated. For the record, the reporter must write the data as it is. If journalists exaggerate data or reduce it, then that information can be inaccurate news.
Although times are changing and technology continues to develop rapidly, the press must continue to prioritize the validity of the news rather than speed. Therefore, the press must uphold the journalistic code of ethics contained in the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 40 of 1999 concerning the Press.
In conclusion, the public must be good at processing news, which is in accordance with the facts and which are only false news. The method is by increasing interest in reading and cross checking with trusted online media . That way, the spread of hoaxes can be overcome as well as possible.
Along with this, the press also has an important role in fighting hoaxes. By complying with journalistic ethics, the news delivered will certainly be more qualified and factual, so that hoaxes can be overcome.
) * The author is a social political observer
