Hoax Rempang Spreads On Social Media, SARA Issues Extensive Provocations To Discredit PSN

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The lack of efforts to be nominated by the government in communicating the problem of Rempang Eco City to the public is in the spotlight. This condition even made the spreaders of fake news or hoaxes by bringing the issue of SARA free to provoke the public to discredit one of these national strategic programs.

Strategic Communication Mass expert, Tuhu Nugraha also suggested that the government should carry out mitigation to stop the spread of hoaxes related to Rempang. If left unchecked, he said, it would cause divisions and social conflicts in the community.

"What the government should do is first provide counter information to explain and clarify. In addition, the statement must be more sympathetic, the message that is put forward must touch the emotional side, because this is not only a matter of location transfer but there are customary, emotional ties, etc.," said Tuhu in Jakarta, Wednesday, September 23.

Through persuasive means, continued Tuhu, it is hoped that the public will compromise for the wider interest, hope for a better job and job opportunity for their families, neighbors and grandchildren. "And this must be intensively distributed on social media. So the approach that is put forward now is more rational, and the interests of the government," he said.

Tuhu said the government seemed to forget that it was currently dealing directly with the public as an end user of the results of national strategic projects. Because, he said, people, if communicated on foreign investment grounds, it would not be easy to improve.

"There are still fears of being 'invaded' by foreign parties and so on. So the message must be that they are directly close to the local community, and the Indonesian people in general. In the end, hope is about a better economy, then new jobs from investment returns in Rempang," he explained.

For this reason, so that in the future there will not be such a thing, the government should have risk mitigation before the execution is carried out.

"The government seems to have forgotten that now the era of social media which became a framing tool is quite effective in spreading hoaxes, besides that, it is currently heading for a political year," he said.

Regarding the spread of hoaxes on social media related to Rempang, Tuhu invited the public to be more observant and check the facts.

"People have to learn to check and check information. Now, if you don't have time to check, don't share directly, just stop yourself. Instead of adding to your sins, if it turns out that hoaxes spread and the public also needs to learn that now everyone can make news and make up stories. So you have to be more critical and careful about swallowing information. Currently, the editors are in each of us who have to filter information," he said.

According to him, hoaxes related to SARA issues in the Rempang case can divide the nation.

"This is very dangerous. Because the Indonesian people are very diverse and the SARA issue is very hot button for Indonesians. So it must be handled with great care, serious and empathy because many are interested in this issue, and everyone knows which issues are easy to play," he said.