General Elections (Pemilu) are one of the important moments in the democratic life of a country. After going through a long and challenging process, the people finally cast their votes to elect the leader they deemed most worthy. However, after the election, the public needs to remain alert to fake/fake news (hoaxes) circulating and filter the information they receive.
Hoaxes are a phenomenon that is increasingly widespread in this digital era. With advances in technology and increasingly easy internet access, anyone can easily spread false or unverified information. This is a serious problem, especially in the post-election period, where the political situation is still sensitive and vulnerable to conflict.
Acting Head of West Kalimantan (Kalbar) Communications and Information Department, Maria Wijayanti, said that the media and press organizations in West Kalimantan were working together to prevent the spread of post-election hoaxes in West Kalimantan through an activity entitled “Strategy for Responding to Information Dynamics after the 2024 Election”. This activity was carried out as a strategic step in responding to the challenges and dynamics of information after the 2024 election.
With the “Strategy for Responding to Post-Election 2024 Information Dynamics” activity, it is hoped that collective awareness can be built about the importance of confirming information before distributing it, as well as educating the public about ways to identify and respond wisely to hoaxes.
Coordinator of the West Kalimantan Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) Division, Faisal Riza, said it was important to fight hoaxes as a form of negative issue that could disrupt the running of the election. Hoaxes can spread false information that is misleading and lead opinions, which has the potential to trigger division and negative sentiment in society.
Using collaborative strategies to fight hoaxes, including checking the sources of information received. Apart from that, literacy, education and clarification are also important parts of efforts to fight hoaxes, because the three are interrelated.
Apart from that, the important role of the media, especially mass media, in fighting hoaxes is because they have a wider reach to society. Even though the Ministry of Communication and Information has taken many actions, one of which is taking down hoax content, further efforts are still needed to fight hoaxes effectively.
In a different place, Dirbinmas Polda Metro Jaya, Police Commissioner Badya Wijaya said that the spread of hoaxes after the election could trigger conflict and tension between community groups. The role of the media and press organizations in filtering information and disseminating accurate information is very crucial. Hoaxes can trigger panic, influence public opinion, and even trigger riots.
In the post-election context, hoaxes can be used to muddy the political atmosphere, generate negative sentiment and damage relations between communities. For this reason, steps need to be taken to counter hoaxes and filter the information received. One effective way is to increase digital literacy. The public needs to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to differentiate between true information and hoaxes. They must understand how to verify the veracity of information before sharing it with others.
Apart from that, the public also needs to increase their criticism of the information they receive. They must learn not to immediately believe every piece of information circulating, especially if the information seems provocative or doesn’t make sense. The public needs to learn to check information sources, see whether the information has been verified by a trusted source or not.
In this digital era, everyone has a role as a disseminator of information. The community must play an active role in disseminating correct information. The public also needs to be responsible for disseminating accurate and verified information. Before sharing information, they must first ensure its truth and consider the possible impacts of disseminating the information.
Meanwhile, the Government also has an important role in fighting post-election hoaxes and increasing efforts to detect and take action against perpetrators who spread hoaxes. Apart from that, the government also needs to carry out educational campaigns to the public about the dangers of hoaxes and the importance of filtering information.
In dealing with post-election hoaxes, society also needs to avoid getting trapped in political polarization. Hoaxes are often used as a tool to strengthen certain political opinions or influence people’s political choices. Therefore, society needs to remain objective and not be influenced by the hoaxes circulating. They must maintain a critical attitude and think rationally in responding to the information they receive.Overall, post-election is a period that is vulnerable to hoaxes. Therefore, the public is obliged to increase vigilance and filter the information they receive. Society needs to increase digital literacy, increase criticism of information, and be responsible in disseminating correct information. The government also needs to play an active role in fighting hoaxes and conducting educational campaigns for the public. With these steps, it is hoped that the public can deal with post-election hoaxes wisely and not be trapped by false information.
