Managing information in Times of crisis

Like mushrooms in the rainy season, fake news has flourished during the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, hoaxes about the Corona virus are not only produced and spread by anonymous people, but also by a number of public figures. It must be admitted that a number of individuals and non-governmental institutions have been involved in overcoming the spread of fake news. However, fake news about Covid-19 has not been adequately addressed. With the spread of hoaxes, how should we manage clear and valid information during a crisis? What steps need to be taken? Does the state need to limit public space?

To discuss this issue further, the Populi Forum on Thursday (6/8/2020) raised the theme "Managing Information in Times of Crisis". Present in this discussion were speakers Ferdinandus Setu (Acting Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Ministry of Communication and Information), Boni Soehakso (Chairman of the Mafindo Organizational Committee), and Jefri Adriansyah (Researcher at the Populi Center). Darin Atiandina (Researcher at the Populi Center) guided the discussion which took place via the Google Meet application.

Acting Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Ministry of Communication and Information Ferdinandus Setu explained that the rapid spread of hoaxes during the Covid-19 pandemic cannot be separated from the development of technology, especially social media. The most obvious implication of the existence of fake news in society is fear and confusion in doing many things. "If this pandemic had happened in the past, and the internet was not as fast as it is today, then public confusion due to hoaxes would not have existed," he added. 
 
Furthermore, he emphasized that there are three strategies carried out by the Ministry of Communication and Information in combating hoaxes. First, the use of information technology. At this point, the Ministry of Communication and Information carries out cyber patrols by operating negative content crawling machines. This effort is carried out for 24 hours and is supported by a 100-person verification team. Second, law enforcement. The Ministry of Communication and Information enforces the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE) Article 28 Paragraphs 1 and 2. Third, digital literacy. "At this point, the National Cybercreation Movement is working with 96 institutions," he explained.

Meanwhile, Mafindo Organization Committee Chairman Boni Soehakso stated that the growth rate of Covid-19 hoaxes reached 25 hoaxes every week. Most of the hoaxes were themed on health hoaxes, such as the characteristics of Covid-19, medicine, prevention and transmission, and were circulated mostly via Facebook, followed by Whatsapp and Twitter. "However, Covid-19 hoaxes that are carried over to political and religious issues are increasing in number and have the potential to continue polarization," he said.

In addition, he said, there needs to be a collaborative effort to overcome the flood of Covid-19 hoaxes. This collaboration is manifested in cooperation between fact-checking institutions, mass media, and health authorities. No less important is educating citizens by involving civil society organizations, community and religious leaders. "Strict law enforcement against intellectual actors is also necessary," he said. Meanwhile, Populi Center Researcher Jefri Adriansyah said that information channels are now much more numerous than several years ago. As a result, the role of the government, especially the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo), as the gatekeeper of information is much more difficult compared to before the spread of these channels. "To overcome hoaxes during this crisis, an effective communication strategy is needed for the public and educating the public through digital literacy," he said.