Unfortunately, in the midst of the rapid development of technology and the rapid flow of information, many problems related to information have begun to surface.
They may have emerged due to lack of information or too much information, especially information that is contradictory, as seen in the case of hoaxes and disinformation.
The Ministry of Communication and Informatics has recorded around 8,814 hoaxes related to general issues, 1,859 hoaxes related to COVID-19, 295 hoaxes related to vaccines, and 42 hoaxes related to public activity restrictions (PPKM) as of July 31, 2021.
According to the official website of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, as of October 26, 2021, the number of hoaxes related to COVID-19 vaccines has risen significantly to touch 2,307.
That number has set alarm bells ringing in the government, a sign that it is aware of the impact of misinformation.
The disruption caused by hoaxes and disinformation makes it difficult for the government to implement policies effectively since it could create doubt or rejection in the community, observers said. Consequently, this could lead to a reduction in community participation in succeeding government programs, they added.
In addition, hoaxes and disinformation can also cause rifts among various elements of society through increasingly severe polarization, they said.
To end the confusion caused by hoaxes and disinformation, the government must become a source of accurate and transparent information to gain public trust, they added.
Related news: Hoaxes can hinder Indonesia's pandemic handling: ministry
Gaining public trust
Gaining public trust is one of the steps that the government can take to prevent hoaxes from impeding government programs.
Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has asked all public institutions to continue encouraging the spirit of openness and accountability regarding information to gain public trust and support and strengthen the spirit of a democratic state and nation.
Through the transparency of public information, the government and all public institutions can provide information that will then become a reference for the public to verify the truth and become the basis for them to take action, he said.
For that reason, the Vice President stressed that it is crucial for all public institutions to provide accurate and correct information that is not misleading to the public and develop new innovations consistently to educate the public and support the progress of government programs.
The information that is being provided, he said, should always follow the applicable principles, provisions, and procedures in fulfilling the requirements for public information.
"Government and public institutions must utilize digital technology to disseminate cleaner, more effective, transparent, and accountable government governance," Ma'ruf Amin said at the 2021 Public Information Openness Award online event on October 26, 2021.
Other than being a source of information for the public, transparency in public information could boost public participation and support of various government programs, Amin said.
The government and public institutions should be open to inputs, suggestions, and criticism from the public and respond to them well, politely, ethically, and based on norms, the Vice President said.
Citizens’ active participation in improving the quality of life of the nation and state is a manifestation of a democratic system, he explained. Transparency in public information will encourage better dynamics in politics and the state if it is based on honesty and active support from the citizens, he said.
So the question is: which category does Indonesia’s public information transparency fall into?
Related news: Hoaxes, misinformation pose biggest challenge to vaccination program
Transparency index
On the Public Information Transparency Index, Indonesia is in the moderate category with a score of 71.37, head of the Central Information Commission, Gede Narayana, said.
This score exceeds the target score stated in the National Medium-Term Development Plan, which is 35, he added.
Aside from conducting the assessment for Public Information Transparency Index, the commission also conducted monitoring and evaluation with a number of experts from January to December 2020.
Based on the results, 83 public institutions were classified as "informative", 63 public institutions as "on its way to being informative", 54 public institutions as "quite informative", 37 public institutions as "less informative", and 100 public institutions as "not informative".
Narayana said that, in general, public information transparency in Indonesia is aimed at the improvement of management and public information services.
Despite the high score on the index, Narayana affirmed that the commission will not get complacent and will continue to strive to encourage and improve public information services and processing so that all public institutions can be classified as "informative".
However, even though Indonesia has reached the moderate category with its Public Information Transparency Index score and has shown improvement based on monitoring and evaluation results of public institutions, hoaxes and disinformation is still spreading massively among the public, he noted.
For that reason, the government must improve the transparency of public information in each public institution and enhance the community’s digital literacy, especially in welcoming the 2024 general election, which will be held nationwide, he said.
During the 2019 presidential and legislative elections, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics had found as many as 3,356 hoaxes, with 916 hoaxes related to politics and 566 hoaxes related to the government, he said.
Reflecting on the spike in hoaxes regarding COVID-19 vaccinations, he said it is not impossible that hoaxes related to politics and the government may soar more sharply during the general election.
Therefore, gaining public trust through public information transparency and increasing public digital literacy can help anticipate the impact of the upcoming 2024 General Election, he added.
Related news: Radicalism, spread of hoaxes can erode national unity: VP
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