The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Bima Arya Sugiarto, has\nemphasised the importance of rapid response and unified narratives for\ngovernment public relations, at both central and regional government\nlevels. This principle serves as a vital foundation for addressing\ndisinformation, slander, and hate (DFK), as well as information\ndisruption in the digital age.<\/p>\n
According to him, speed in responding is necessary to ensure that\ninformation spaces are not left empty and filled with inaccurate\nnarratives. This message was delivered by Bima while representing the\nMinister of Home Affairs as a speaker at the Coordination Forum themed\n\u201cOptimising the Role of Ministry\/Agency and Regional Government Public\nRelations in Facing DFK and Information Disertion\u201d at Graha Marinir\nPanti Perwira, Jakarta, on Tuesday (1\/9).<\/p>\n
Bima explained that government communication patterns have changed\nalongside the development of technology and digital media. While the\ngovernment previously held a dominant role in determining the\ninformation delivered to the public, the community now plays a\nsignificant role in producing and disseminating information.<\/p>\n
He noted that the current challenges are different. \u201cIn the past, the\nmedia stage was driven by the government,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He stated that previously, the government designed press releases and\nmaximised channels to reach the public. \u201cNow it is reversed; the public\nobserves, records, uploads, and things go viral, forming a perception,\nand only then does the government respond. These are two very extreme\npatterns that we cannot take for granted,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Bima stated that the speed of response is also crucial to prevent the\nemergence of speculation and narratives that develop when the government\nis late in providing explanations. Such conditions can be exploited\nthrough the spread of video clips, comments, or narratives from various\nopposing parties. In this context, Bima appreciated regional governments\nthat have established special units to counter hoaxes and DFK.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe appreciate several regional governments that have special\ncyber-hoax units to counter this. We have monitored several cities that\nalready have them. So, as soon as a hoax or DFK appears, they move\nquickly\u2014not in days, but perhaps in hours\u2014they intervene, and the\nopinion becomes balanced, and subsequently, the [DFK] disappears,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In addition to rapid response, Bima emphasised the importance of\nbuilding a unified narrative within the government environment. He\nstated that public relations should not merely be involved at the final\nstage when a policy or programme is already running. Instead, public\nrelations needs to be involved from the beginning through a co-creation\nprocess with other regional apparatuses.<\/p>\n
\u201cFocus on a single, dominant narrative that is planned and agreed\nupon from the start,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Bima also requested that media monitoring be maximised. Media\nmonitoring should not only be used to measure public acceptance of a\npolicy but also to read public sentiment more comprehensively.<\/p>\n
To support this, Bima encouraged government public relations to not\nmerely be defensive or reactive in facing disinformation. The government\nalso needs to be more proactive in communicating various achievements\nand best practices occurring in the regions.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bima-emphasises-rapid-response-and-unified-narrative-to-combat-disinformation-1788274734", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }