Apart from pandemics, government public relations have to deal with infodemics.
Doc. Special
Government public relations (PR) are not only faced with the Covid-19 problem. But also an infodemic problem.
JAKARTA, PRINDONESIA.CO – The statement above is stated by Henri Subiakto, Expert Staff of the Minister of Communication and Information Technology for Legal Affairs in the 2020 National Public Relations Convention (KNH) on Friday (11/4/2020). According to Henri, the Covid-19 pandemic posed various threats such as health, economy, and politics. This is because the understanding of Covid-19 continues to grow, followed by crisis and uncertainty.
Meanwhile, government PR at the same time must face both a pandemic and an infodemic. "Infodemics are as dangerous as a pandemic," said Henri.
The development of social media has been the trigger for this infodemic. Indonesian people make social media their main source of information about the pandemic. Another reason is that social media is the fastest source of information and creates social addiction.
Based on Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data as of September 28, 2020, there was 83.6 percent mentioned social media as the main source of information on the Covid-19 pandemic. Even though hoaxes and infodemics are suspected to have circulated on social media. Social media has also created an era of post-truth and false truth. “Social media is a source of disinformation. Truth can be defeated with conviction," said Henri.
Henri said, to neutralize the negative impact of one negative information, the human brain needs five positive information. "This proves that negative things are easier to remember than positive things," he said.
Until now, eradicating hoaxes is still the homework of government PR. Because the fact is that many hoaxes are produced and distributed at every opportunity. "Hoax targets people who tend to read and conclude quickly," said Henri.
Hoax also works with confirmatory bias. This means it is easier for people to trust information that is similar to what they think. In the end, they get stuck in the echo chamber — only hearing their own voices and putting aside any information that doesn't match their beliefs. "This condition will be exacerbated by the presence of figures who support it," he added.
Another challenge is that uncertain conditions cause policies and information to change very dynamically. "Actually, it is not the policies and communication that change, but the rapid development of the virus requires handling that is equally fast. So, the policies taken by the government seem to fluctuate," said Henri. This is where the important role of PR, they play a role in explaining uncertain conditions to the public.
Policy Instruments
Meanwhile, for Bank Indonesia, communication is an instrument of policy. "We must be able to manage public expectations, literacy, transparency, including responsibility," said Muhammad Nur, Director of the Communication Department of Bank Indonesia, still at the same event.
Especially for transparency, Nur said that it is important in building public trust. To achieve transparent communication requires clear, direct communication regarding potential risks and readiness to respond to all risks that may arise from the issuance of a policy. "In addition, it is important to prepare a clear and timely communication plan," he added.
Nur also underlined the importance of continuous, consistent, and dialogue-based communication. To achieve communication goals, BI uses three channels, namely above the line, below the line, and social media. They also have a Bicara 131 contact center as a public information service and for handling public complaints. (rvh)
.png&w=283&h=194)
.jpeg&w=283&h=194)
.jpg&w=283&h=194)
.jpeg&w=417&h=289 "Afifudin, IndiHome: Orchestrating Empathic Communication")
Government public relations (PR) are not only faced with the Covid-19 problem. But also an infodemic problem.
JAKARTA, PRINDONESIA.CO – The statement above is stated by Henri Subiakto, Expert Staff of the Minister of Communication and Information Technology for Legal Affairs in the 2020 National Public Relations Convention (KNH) on Friday (11/4/2020). According to Henri, the Covid-19 pandemic posed various threats such as health, economy, and politics. This is because the understanding of Covid-19 continues to grow, followed by crisis and uncertainty.
Meanwhile, government PR at the same time must face both a pandemic and an infodemic. "Infodemics are as dangerous as a pandemic," said Henri.
The development of social media has been the trigger for this infodemic. Indonesian people make social media their main source of information about the pandemic. Another reason is that social media is the fastest source of information and creates social addiction.
Based on Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data as of September 28, 2020, there was 83.6 percent mentioned social media as the main source of information on the Covid-19 pandemic. Even though hoaxes and infodemics are suspected to have circulated on social media. Social media has also created an era of post-truth and false truth. “Social media is a source of disinformation. Truth can be defeated with conviction," said Henri.
Henri said, to neutralize the negative impact of one negative information, the human brain needs five positive information. "This proves that negative things are easier to remember than positive things," he said.
Until now, eradicating hoaxes is still the homework of government PR. Because the fact is that many hoaxes are produced and distributed at every opportunity. "Hoax targets people who tend to read and conclude quickly," said Henri.
Hoax also works with confirmatory bias. This means it is easier for people to trust information that is similar to what they think. In the end, they get stuck in the echo chamber — only hearing their own voices and putting aside any information that doesn't match their beliefs. "This condition will be exacerbated by the presence of figures who support it," he added.
Another challenge is that uncertain conditions cause policies and information to change very dynamically. "Actually, it is not the policies and communication that change, but the rapid development of the virus requires handling that is equally fast. So, the policies taken by the government seem to fluctuate," said Henri. This is where the important role of PR, they play a role in explaining uncertain conditions to the public.
Policy Instruments
Meanwhile, for Bank Indonesia, communication is an instrument of policy. "We must be able to manage public expectations, literacy, transparency, including responsibility," said Muhammad Nur, Director of the Communication Department of Bank Indonesia, still at the same event.
Especially for transparency, Nur said that it is important in building public trust. To achieve transparent communication requires clear, direct communication regarding potential risks and readiness to respond to all risks that may arise from the issuance of a policy. "In addition, it is important to prepare a clear and timely communication plan," he added.
Nur also underlined the importance of continuous, consistent, and dialogue-based communication. To achieve communication goals, BI uses three channels, namely above the line, below the line, and social media. They also have a Bicara 131 contact center as a public information service and for handling public complaints. (rvh)