By : Gavin Asadit )*
Regional Head Election (Pilkada) is an important democratic process in the government system in Indonesia. Every few years, the Indonesian people have the opportunity to elect regional leaders who are deemed capable of representing the interests of the community. However, in the Pilkada process various hoax issues often arise which can influence public opinion and the results of the election, so cross-sectoral collaboration is needed to prevent the spread of hoaxes in society during the 2024 Pilkada.
Hoax or fake news is information that is deliberately spread with the aim of misleading or manipulating public opinion. In the context of regional elections, hoaxes can have a negative impact on the democratic process which should run fairly and transparently. Therefore, strong cross-sectoral collaboration is needed to fight hoaxes in the 2024 Regional Elections.
First of all, the government’s role is very important in fighting hoaxes. The government can take various steps to educate the public about the dangers of hoaxes and how to identify them. For example, the government can hold social campaigns through mass media and social media to increase people’s digital literacy. Apart from that, the government can also collaborate with educational institutions to integrate learning about hoaxes into the school curriculum.
Banjarmasin Police Chief, Police Commissioner. Sabana Atmojo SIK, MH said that his party continues to communicate and collaborate with all stakeholders to realize the successful implementation of the 2024 Pilkada. All parties have an active role in carrying out their roles and responsibilities with full integrity and a sense of responsibility throughout the series of stages of the 2024 Pilkada.
Apart from the government, the mass media also has a very important role in fighting hoaxes. Mass media has the power to disseminate accurate and trustworthy information. Therefore, the mass media must be responsible for presenting factual and impartial news. Mass media can also collaborate with the government and educational institutions in educating the public about the dangers of hoaxes.
Meanwhile, the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) has prepared an information control task force to handle hoaxes and false information during the 2024 regional elections. BSSN itself will later run a number of task forces, including the Cyber Security Task Force, Information Control Task Force, Cryptography Task Force and Conflict Task Force. Head of BSSN, Hinsa Siburian, said that BSSN had carried out data observation operations since the 2024 presidential election so that it continued until the simultaneous regional elections in Indonesia. Apart from that, the task force carried out by BSSN aims to ensure and strengthen all national data related to elections from cyber attacks.
Educational institutions also have a significant role in fighting hoaxes. As an institution responsible for educating the younger generation, educational institutions can integrate learning about hoaxes into the school curriculum. Through good education, the younger generation can become a critical society and be able to identify hoaxes well. Apart from that, educational institutions can also hold seminars or workshops on hoaxes for teachers and students to increase their understanding.
Apart from the three sectors above, the community also has an important role in fighting hoaxes in the 2024 Regional Election. The community must be active in checking the veracity of information before spreading it. The public can also report hoaxes they encounter to the authorities or competent institutions. By actively involving the community, hoaxes can be quickly detected and overcome.
Cross-sectoral collaboration in fighting hoaxes in the 2024 Regional Elections can also be carried out through cooperation between the government, mass media, educational institutions and the community. For example, the government is working with mass media to disseminate accurate information about hoaxes and how to identify them. The government also needs to involve educational institutions in social campaigns to increase people’s digital literacy. Apart from that, it is also important for the government to hold a forum or public discussion involving the public to discuss the issue of hoaxes in the 2024 Regional Elections.
Sanggau General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), Septiana Ika Kristia said that her party invited a number of media crew to play an active role in making the implementation of the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections a success by educate the public in exercising their voting rights so as to increase voter participation.
In an effort to fight hoaxes in the 2024 Pilkada, cross-sectoral collaboration must be based on the principles of professionalism and transparency. All parties must work together with mutual respect and respect for each other’s roles. Apart from that, this collaboration must also be supported by clear and firm regulations regarding the spread of hoaxes. Clear regulations will provide a legal basis for the authorities to deal with hoaxes effectively.
In conclusion, hoaxes are a serious threat to the democratic process in the 2024 regional elections. Therefore, strong cross-sectoral collaboration is needed to fight hoaxes. The government, mass media, educational institutions and society must work together to educate the public about the dangers of hoaxes and how to identify them. With good collaboration, hoaxes can be minimized so that the regional election process can run fairly and transparently.
)* The author is an observer of social and community problems
