By: Rahmat Soleh) *
In the midst of the rampant Covid-19 pandemic in the country, there are also plenty of hoaxes scattered about the virus. The rise of fake news or hoaxes is of course dangerous because it can cause public unrest, maybe even division in the community. The Press and Millennial are expected to be active in warding off hoaxes around Covid-19.
Ruangguru’s founder and CEO, Adamas Belva Syah Devara said that millennials have a big role to play in fighting fake news or hoaxes related to Covid-19 which are widely scattered on social media. The reason is, the younger generation now has access to information that is much easier, more and not catchy (technology illiterate).
If you get good and useful news, then it’s good to spread. However, if you get news that the source is less reliable and is indicated as false, then it is better to stop us as millennial generation and urge others to stop spreading the news.
Since a long time ago, actually there have been a lot of hoax news scattered about anything. If there was no media in the past, hoax news circulated by word of mouth even more horrifying because from every mouth the news always gets additional spices. When the information media is paper, hoaxes are scattered in many leaflets that are distributed. When the cell phone began, hoax news was targeted by message. Now, a lot of hoax news is popping up and is widespread on social media.
Fighting hoaxes is part of an educational effort that is very important to do in times of plague. The younger generation can do simple education starting from the closest environment, namely family, friends and neighbors. Moreover, now almost everyone has used the WhatsApp group where hoaxes are widely spread there.
To find this phenomenon, there is indeed a need for foresight and critical and skeptical attitude towards the news circulating on whatsapp which is very much possible hoaxes. We as a young generation, it has become an obligation to double check the news source, whether it is trusted and true or false news. Because, if not us, who will stop the spread of the rampant hoax?
The role of the press in combating the circulation of hoaxes is also very important. The reason is, the integrity of a mass media is determined how credible the news is aired.
Former Press Council Chairman Yosep Adi Prasetyo, said that the mass media must indeed be a reliable source of information for the community. When hoax news is circulating about Covid-19, the attitude taken by the media is to be a clearer or enlightenment for the public from the false news.
When a lot of information circulates that causes public panic and things like that. Then the media acts as the party who must explain what the case is sitting.
According to Yosep, these hoaxes can be disputed by asking trusted sources such as the government and related parties.
The Ministry of Communication and Information has recorded that there are 385 hoaxes circulating related to Covid-19 and have been revoked, as in the case of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) who felt their statements were being ground by the media.
The mass media can indeed play a role in educating the public regarding the many hoax news that is rife.
Anxiety after the unrest created in the community, because the news of the Covid-19 hoax that circulated indeed had to be warded off immediately. Not only young people, not only the press. All related parties and credible information owners must also have openness so that false news that circulates can be broken. Moreover, considering that there are indeed many hoaxes, then the attitude of raw trust must begin to be removed.
) * The author is a contributor of The Jakarta Institute