Hoaxes do not always gain strength because their content is\nconvincing. They often become powerful because they arrive first, are\nrepeated numerous times, and touch upon public emotions before facts\nhave the opportunity to speak.<\/p>\n
When government clarifications only emerge after false information\nhas spread widely, the battle of communication becomes much harder. The\ngovernment is no longer merely conveying the truth, but must instead\nattempt to change beliefs that have already formed.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Communication and Digital has performed important\nwork through the monitoring and clarification of false information.\nThroughout 2024, the government identified and clarified 1,923 pieces of\nhoax content. The list of clarifications continues to be updated,\nincluding those regarding recruitment scams, health hoaxes, fake social\nassistance, and data-stealing links.<\/p>\n
This work is commendable. However, the scale and speed of\ndisinformation necessitate that clarification strategies be supplemented\nwith a more preventive approach. The government must begin fighting\nhoaxes before they emerge and become established beliefs.<\/p>\n
Communication science recognises an approach known as \u2018prebunking\u2019 or\nearly preparation. While debunking refutes false information that has\nalready circulated, prebulting prepares the public to recognise patterns\nof manipulation before they encounter them.<\/p>\n
This approach is similar to vaccination. The public is introduced to\nsafe doses of the characteristics of manipulation so that they possess\nimmunity when encountering the real version. They are taught to\nrecognise clickbait titles that incite anger, anonymous sources,\nout-of-context video clips, fake accounts, urgent calls to share, and\nlinks that request personal data.<\/p>\n
This strategy is relevant because hoaxes constantly evolve, yet their\nmanipulative techniques are relatively repetitive. Ahead of aid\nregistrations, fake links will appear. When the government opens\nrecruitment, imitation announcements will circulate. During outbreaks or\nhealth issues, baseless medicinal claims will emerge. By 2026, Komdigi\neven intends to strengthen the upstream approach by involving digital\nplatforms in handling health hoaxes.<\/p>\n
Every ministry could essentially create a disinformation risk map.\nThe Ministry of Health could map hoaxes regarding medicines, vaccines,\nand outbreaks. The Ministry of Social Affairs could anticipate social\nassistance fraud. The Ministry of Finance could prepare explanations\nregarding taxes and budgets. The National Civil Service Agency could\nanticipate fake recruitment.<\/p>\n
Such maps would serve as the basis for a preventive communication\ncalendar. Two weeks before a programme is launched, the government\nshould already have explained the official channels, the format of\ndocuments, registration procedures, costs, and the types of personal\ninformation that are never requested.<\/p>\n
The government also needs to build a disinformation warning system,\nsimilar to weather alerts. When certain patterns of hoaxes increase, the\npublic could receive brief notifications through official channels,\nmedia, telecommunications operators, and local government networks.<\/p>\n
Clarifications must be produced in easily shareable formats. A single\nlong explanation on a government website is not always able to catch up\nwith a short video that has been viewed millions of times. Facts need to\nbe presented in the form of visual cards, vertical videos, voice\nmessages, and short texts that can be forwarded through family\ngroups.<\/p>\n
Speed must be accompanied by accuracy. Every ministry should ideally\nhave a rapid response team involving subject matter experts,\ncommunications specialists, legal experts, and digital monitors. These\nteams should be given time targets to verify high-risk issues and issue\ninitial responses.<\/p>\n
Collaboration with platforms also needs to be strengthened. Platforms\ncan assist by labelling content, reducing the reach of harmful content,\npreserving digital evidence, and directing users to official sources.\nHowever, such cooperation must be conducted transparently so that hoax\nmitigation does not transform into the restriction of legitimate\nopinion.<\/p>\n
The government must clearly distinguish between three things:\ninformation proven to be false, harsh opinion, and criticism of policy.\nHoaxes must be fought with evidence. Criticism must be answered with\narguments and improvements. Disagreement should not automatically be\ncategorised as disinformation.<\/p>\n
Digital literacy must also move from seminars towards practical\nskills. The public needs to practise checking website addresses, tracing\nphoto sources, recognising fake accounts, reading dates, and\ndistinguishing between journalistic content and disguised\nadvertisements.<\/p>\n
Local figures play a significant role. Teachers, healthcare workers,\nreligious leaders, community heads, business owners, and youth\ncommunities are often more trusted than official accounts that feel\ndistant. The government can form a network of community verifiers with\nconstantly updated materials.<\/p>\n
The success of this strategy should not merely be measured by the\nnumber of contents taken down. A more important measure is how quickly\nhoaxes are detected, how widely clarifications reach exposed groups, and\nwhether the public becomes increasingly capable of verifying information\nindependently.<\/p>\n
The war against hoaxes cannot be won if the government always arrives\nlast. Clarification is still necessary, but prevention is far more\npowerful. The government must be present before scams claim victims,\nbefore lies turn into anger, and before manipulation turns into\nconviction.<\/p>\n
In the era of algorithms, truth does not automatically win. Truth\nmust be delivered earlier, in clear language, through trusted\nmessengers, and in forms that are easily accepted by the public.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/combating-hoaxes-before-they-become-convictions-1789599146", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }