FIKES UIN Jakarta holds webinar on Combating the Covid-19 Hoaxes
FIKES, UIN News Online – The Covid-19 hoaxes on social media has recorded an increase to 39%. And this doesn’t match with reality. Therefore, the community must be able to filter out various hoaxes on social media.
This was discussed at the 2020 Health Promotion Professionals webinar entitled “Strategi Kesehatan Dalam Memerangi Misinformasi Covid-19 di Era 4.0”, organized by the Faculty of Health Science (FIKES) UIN Jakarta on Tuesday (11/17/2020).
The webinar which was officially opened by the Dean of FIKES UIN Jakarta Zilhadia, presented the the Director General of Information and Public Communication of the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Informatio, Widodo Muktiyo, Director General of Health Promotion of the Indonesian Ministry of Health Andi Sari Bunga Untung and other expert speakers as resource persons.
According to Widodo, the total population of Internet users reaches 272.1 million, with mobile phone usars as much as 338.2 million, and active internet users up to 175.4 million. It can be concluded that more than 50% of the population are active internet users.
“Therefore, we need to analyze and validate the news we read or hear on the web and various social media platforms,” he said.
Meanwhile, Andi Sari Bunga Untung gave a presentation on the importance of health protocols. According to Andi, many Indonesian people are still lacking in hand washing practice to counter the Covid-19.
“This is coupled with the fact that many people still travel either abroad or within the country, which encourages a a very intense infection transmission process,” said Andi.
He explained that this condition can be exacerbated by the social situation that did not believe in the existence of Covid-19, as well as a lack of self-awareness in practicing self isolation or quarantine.
She also added that the information technology is also the most important thing in the dissemination of information, but people still have to sort out the news they read.
Another speaker, Farid Hamzens, one of the lecturers of the Public Health Study Program at UIN Jakarta, gave material on the student roles in combating the Covid-19 hoaxes. He hopes that students can act as a medium that can bridge all the news that comes and goes on social media today. (usa/mf)