Understanding The Difference Between Black Campaign And Negative Campaign, How Is The Law?

Illustration of different black campaigns and negative campaigns (Freepik)

YOGYAKARTA - It is important to understand the different black campaigns and negative campaigns in times ahead of elections like today. These two campaign methods always inevitably appear in the electoral atmosphere, both at the presidential election level to the regional elections.

Black campaigns and negative campaigns are often run by parties or campaign parties, although they do not openly show them. This campaign method is carried out to damage or bring down the image of its political opponents.

The public is asked to be aware of the emergence of black campaigns and negative campaigns so as not to be influenced by hoaxes or news whose truth is doubtful. So what are the differences between black campaigns and negative campaigns?

Negative campaigns and black campaigns are both bad things in campaign activities. However, in elections, negative campaigns are still allowed to be implemented. While black campaigns are not permitted or prohibited and perpetrators will be subject to criminal sanctions as stipulated in Article 280 paragraph (1) letter c and Article 521.

In Article 280 paragraph (1) letter c, it contains: Implementers, participants, and the Election Campaign team are prohibited from insulting someone, religion, ethnicity, race, class, candidates, and/or other election participants.

In Article 521, it contains: every executor, participant, and/or election campaign team who deliberately violates the prohibition in Article 280 paragraph (1) letters a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i, or j, shall be sentenced to a maximum imprisonment of two years and a maximum fine of 24 million rupiah.

To get to know more about what black campaign and negative campaign are, here's the understanding:

Black campaign is a campaign method that is carried out to accuse certain pairs of candidates or parties of false accusations, whose truth has not been proven. This campaign action could be in the form of slander, spreading rumors, and building bad perceptions of its political opponents.

Here are some examples or characteristics in the black campaign:

Negative campaign is a campaign method that is carried out to show the weaknesses and mistakes of certain candidates or parties in politics. Unlike the black campaign, the negative campaign spreads weaknesses and mistakes of its political opponents based on existing data and facts.

Negative campaigns are not campaign actions that violate the norms of social ethics and are not prohibited in law. Here are some examples or characteristics of negative campaigns:

Although at first glance it looks the same, black campaigns and negative campaigns have differences in campaigning and their impacts. It has been previously mentioned that negative campaigns are still permitted, while black campaigns are banned and subject to sanctions.

In a negative campaign, the group or political opponents who were attacked were given the opportunity to respond and clarify the truth regarding the arguments leveled. Meanwhile, the black campaign was carried out by accusing his political opponents of false statements and far-fetched, to gathering religious and racial issues.

So even though the negative campaign aims to bring down or corner its political opponents, attacks that are launched focus on weaknesses based on truth and data. Black campaign is considered an unethical practice and can damage democracy.

That's a review of different black campaigns and negative campaigns in elections. Everyone must understand the differences in black campaigns and negative campaigns so as not to be consumed by hoaxes or fake rumors in the near future.

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