Infodemic: COVID-19 in Indonesia

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic killed millions of people around the world, including thousands in Indonesia. However, in midst of the pandemic, the many hoaxes, misinformation, and disinformation opened the opportunity for distorted public perception of information for Indonesians, transforming a global grief instead into an “infodemic” phenomenon, a disruption of information and truth. In this article, I analyze data and reference materials obtained from books, journals, and research reports from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics in the Republic of Indonesia, as well as newspaper articles related to hoaxes and misinformation on social and mainstream media. Through technical analyses, I conclude that the primary purpose of such disinformation was to confuse and mislead the public, resulting in an infodemic. Finding solutions to overcome this rapid and dangerous development of hoaxes on social media and disinformation on mainstream media should be the primary concern for the Indonesian government or state. Now the Indonesian government must improve effective public communication, so the public to receive information accurately and comprehensively.