By: Gandi Widiyantoro
Ahead of the simultaneous Pilkada in April 2019, the Minister of Communication and Information, Rudiantara invites the public to be more vigilant and digest every information obtained so that all people can enjoy a democratic party with an educative manner. Minister Rudiantara also hopes the community can be smarter and critically respond to various political issues so that hoaxes are not easily consumed.
Looking at the phenomenon on social media, 2018 and 2019 are the highest periods of hoax distribution compared to the previous year. Hoax is information or hoax that is distributed to the public for a particular purpose. Entering the campaign period, the spread of hoax information and false news is increasingly massive and uncontrollable. Online news, social media, WhatsApp groups and the like cannot be separated from lies and hoaxes. It turns out that hoaxes are not only created by ordinary people who are looking for sensations. But now the hoax has been created in a planned and directed manner, with the aim of influencing the community as he wishes.
Do you still remember Ratna Sarumpaet? Yes, Ratna is very suitable to be crowned a national hoax figure. Why?? Ratna herself is an actor from a part of the political scenario to make the image of the government ugly, the image of the Indonesian President, Jokowi’s image. Of course the one who plays the scenario is Jokowi’s opponent, Prabowo cs. Ratna, who was a spokesperson for 02, loudly admitted that she was beaten by government-paid thugs so her face was banned in the mass media. With a beautiful scenario, Prabowo swiftly responded ‘instead of defending Ratna” holding a press conference and confirming that Ratna attacked the government-paid thugs. And it turns out it’s all hoaxes.
On various social media, the stronghold 02 has been known for its hoax political strategy. The number of lies spread by the faction 02, makes the predicate hoax more inherent. Do you remember that Prabowo once said Haiti in Africa? How can a person of the Presidential Candidate level not know the country of Haiti? Then what’s the RSCM blood hose, which is said to have been used by more than 40 people. The newest one in the Presidential Election debate, the pair from Prabowo said, Central Java was bigger than Malaysia. Really too … maybe as Netizens we can only say: “Astaghfirullah, it’s stupid natural.”
Hoax indeed spread rapidly through various media. Technological developments in smartphone use are increasing, causing the spread of hoaxes to be massive in various circles. Therefore, Communication and Information Technology also actively moves through various kinds of socialization so that people are protected from hoaxes.
In each socialization, both from the Ministry of Communication and Information and NGOs always reminded and appealed to the community, that the basic thing to prevent the circulation of hoaxes was awareness of saving pulses and quotas. If we receive videos, photos, texts and so on from sources that have no clear information or potential hoaxes, it is better to delete or not spread, rather than spend quota and increase sin. In addition, reducing news hoaxes will have a positive impact in reducing divisions and hostilities in the community.
All parties hope that this year’s democratic party will be a place of mutual harmony so that everyone feels happy without any hostility. Of course, to achieve this goal, there must be awareness of all groups, whether the community, the Election participants who participated in it, and even anyone should be able to reduce hoaxes together through a spirit of diversity.
*) Student of Pancasila University