Minister of Religious Affairs Urges Civitas Academica of UIN Jakarta to Engage in Antihoax Efforts

Harun Nasution Auditorium, UIN News Online – The Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, urges the civitas academica of UIN Jakarta in antihoax efforts.

“The profileration of social media and chat messenger allow anyone to spread information freely without moderation, this has led individuals being swamped by inaccurate information, most of which is of a dubious nature or not from reliable source,” said Lukman during his presentation in National Seminar entitled “Hoax di Media Massa dan Media Sosial: Pergulatan Antara Fintah dan Tanggung Jawab Sosial,” organized by the Faculty of Da’wa and Communication UIN Jakarta, at Harun Nasution Auditorium, Campus I of UIN Jakarta, Tuesday, (3/7).

Also present in the event, Nukman Luthfie (IT and social media expert), Rosarita Niken Wydastuti (Director General of Information and Public Communication, The Ministry of Information and Communication), and Imam Wahyudi of the Press Council.

“According to the Ministry of Information and Communication, there were 800 sites suspected as a major source of hoaxes, false news and hate speeches. The hoaxes also scattered through Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp groups. This is quite annoying,” said Lukman.

Meanwhile, Nukman said that hoaxes become troubling phenomenon in today society. Hoax are used as a 'tools' by certain groups for their own interests.

“It is very difficult to stop the hoaxes along with advances in information technology such as social media, and the people seemed to have grown accustomed to such hoaxes” said Nukman.

“The keys are literacy and the understanding on filtering the news and information,” he said. (usa)