UNAIR NEWS – Temperature gun hoax and haram klepon cake commotion have spread very quickly in the community through the internet and social media. It is certainly not a trivial matter because during the pandemic, almost all community activities were diverted to various online spaces that were very vulnerable to false information.
Lecturer of Information Science and Library, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) UNAIR and critical information literacy observer, Dr. Fitri Mutia, A.KS., M.Si. said, the spread of fake news is currently very much influenced by the electronic media. “Hoaxes are currently spreading quickly, easily and reach almost all levels of society. It is indeed facilitated by the variety of electronic media used by the public to access, store, create and disseminate information, ” she explained in an online interview Wednesday, July 22, 2020.
According to the lecturer often called Mutia, the impact caused by hoaxes is very dangerous. Because, not only harms individuals, but also can create unrest in society to disrupt the stability of the country.
Characteristics of false information
So, how do you distinguish information from hoaxes and facts? Mutia explained, there are at least five signs of hoaxes.
First, said Mutia, hoaxes generally do not clearly state the sources. So who is responsible for it is not known.
“We can re-check through various sources, for example from the official website relating to spread news, ” she said.
Furthermore, she added, diction used in hoaxes often target certain parties as if they have made a mistake. While the third sign, hoaxes often end with sentences that ‘force’ the reader to spread the information.
Furthermore, if the false information is accompanied by a picture or video, usually the part in question is not apparent. “Actually there are tools that we can use, google image to check the image, hoaxes or not,” she explained.
Finally, there is no certain information when it occurs. So the recipient of the information cannot trace the truth.
Mutia advised to always check the truth of information received using various sources or valid parties. In addition, she continued, people need to equip themselves with critical information literacy capabilities to combat hoaxes. “Don’t let us be one who share the hoaxes,” she said.
Finally, Mutia reminded to be careful in spreading information. The reason is that the makers or spreaders of hoaxes can be punished by law based on ITE Law Article 28 Paragraph 1.
“Although for reasons of ignorance or just for fun, the threat of punishment has been confirmed by the government in ITE Law. So, people need to be careful in order to avoid behavior as hoaxes maker or disseminator, “Mutia concluded. (*)
Author: Erika Eight Novanty
Editor: Feri Fenoria Rifa’i
