Stop the rumor mill<\/p>\n
In this part of the world rumors are perhaps as old as
\ncivilization. The changes brought by time seem to have been
\nunable to stop the spread of rumors which often find their way
\nabout faster than the truth. Rumors have victimized many people,
\nand their impact often lasts longer than the truth.<\/p>\n
Last week, in one of the central Sumatra villages which were
\nshaken by a major earthquake recently, two people, one a member
\nof the Armed Forces and one a villager, were killed and another
\nArmy officer seriously injured when villagers rioted in reaction
\nto rumors.<\/p>\n
Reports said that the riot started when the people, whose
\nvillage had been reduced to rubble by the devastating earthquake,
\nsaw two soldiers dropping off two local high school girls who had
\nbeen given a ride in their car. The mob, which feared that the
\ngirls might have been harmed, ran at the soldiers, one of whom
\nopened fire in the confusion and killed a villager. The villagers
\nwere driven to the violence due to rumors circulating that other
\nyoung women in the area had been molested.<\/p>\n
Earlier, two journalists had been attacked by villagers who
\nwere angry at what they claimed was the media's failure to give
\nequal coverage to all villages hit by the disaster.<\/p>\n
The people's suffering in lamentable conditions apparently
\nmade them overly sensitive to the things happening around them
\nand thus more vulnerable to rumors.<\/p>\n
Another riot was triggered in Ciracas, East Jakarta, recently
\nwhen the rumor circulated that an infant injured during the
\nmurder of her mother and three siblings several days earlier had
\nalso died. The local people were so incensed at further tragedy
\nbefalling the Rohadi family that they attacked and set fire to
\nthe homes of the murder suspect and his relatives. They found out
\nlater that the child was still living.<\/p>\n
But even that was not the first time in recent years that our
\npeople have become victims of rumors. Many racial or religious
\nconflicts here have been provoked by rumors. Rumors that certain
\ndairy products had pork among their ingredients and other rumors
\nthat certain processed foods were poisonous have caused radical
\nreactions among the populace.<\/p>\n
The question now is: Why do people so easily believe
\neverything they hear, without trying to check it out? Apparently
\nthere is a reluctance to verify the truth of information with the
\nauthorities. And even when the authorities do issue statements
\ncountering rumors, many people refuse to believe what they say.<\/p>\n
Clearly there is a vast and disturbing credibility gap. The
\npeople want the truth at all times, but seem to be in need of an
\neducation about how to live and behave as responsible citizens.
\nMany Indonesians have minimum educations and are not sure who or
\nwhat to believe.<\/p>\n
They have heard so many things from the authorities which have
\nproved to be unfounded later on. And their reactions to this kind
\nof situation are fast. There was a time when the authorities
\nannounced that there would be no devaluation of the rupiah
\nshortly before it was devalued. And the government's policy of
\nmaintaining economic stability for the benefit of the people has
\nyet to be fully mirrored by the realities faced in the
\nmarketplaces. The news media, which prints official statements
\nabout commodity prices in good faith, stand accused of
\ndisappointing the public. People say, \"If you want inexpensive
\ngoods, try to buy them at the newspaper offices.\"<\/p>\n
The fact that rumors are playing the role modern communication
\ntechnology should play in a country which is trying hard to
\nmodernize itself is lamentable. Efforts should be made to improve
\nour people's capability to react maturely in any given situation,
\nno matter how difficult. Reducing the number of hollow promises
\nand avoiding making statements or accusations which are not
\nsupported by facts could improve the situation.<\/p>\n
In whatever way possible, the current state of communication
\nbetween the authorities and the people must be improved so that
\nthe citizens's trust in the government can be restored.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/stop-the-rumor-mill-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}