Why do some Indonesians still refuse to follow health regulations to prevent the spread of Covid-19 infections despite the continued rise in cases and deaths? What motivated protesters to rise up against the Job Creation Law? One short answer to the two questions could well be an overload of confusing and non-credible information in the mainstream and social media, as well as the dismal failure of the government to do its job in conveying the correct information to the public.
Last March, the pandemic began its disruptive and damaging course and Indonesia, like many other countries, was caught totally unprepared, notwithstanding disaster management programs already in place. The Covid-19 scourge hit us all like an avalanche, crushing lives and lifestyles and forcing us to radically adapt to a more controlled environment. But worst of all, there was little information about the disease itself: its origins, its characteristics and its cure. At least in the initial stages.
People turned to the three main sources of information: social and mainstream (TV, radio, newspapers and magazines) media and the government. The data coming from the mainstream media and the government – sourced from recognized experts in their fields — tend to be credible, although the reports are often unstructured and difficult to follow. What causes confusion is the overload of unverified stories and anecdotes spread on social media.
This can be especially harmful to those with little education and vulnerable to misinformation. These are people who refuse to accept the importance of wearing facemasks and keeping social distancing and who break the law in order to bury Covid-19 victims without adhering to the proper protocols.
To counter misinformation, the Government – through its Ministry of Information and Communication – should have been more aggressive in getting across its message. And yet, no matter how effective it may be in dissemination, the populace is often unwilling to accept the official version and choose to believe their own sources of information. But the problem with many Indonesians is that they lack media literacy.
Media literacy has long been a program that the United Nations espoused as part of the democratization process. It is the ability to identify different types of media and understand the messages they’re sending. Unfortunately, it was never in the Government’s list of priorities, compared to basic education or health-related programs. In today’s digital age, media literacy would teach people to recognize real information, to think critically and to distinguish commercial ads from public service announcements.
It is not surprising that despite the Government’s claims of disseminating all the pertinent information regarding Covid-19, people still fail to understand the urgency and the importance of following rules and regulations. Hence the continuing rise in the number of infections.
Another consequence of the lack of media literacy is the recent outburst of violent protests over the Job Creation Law. Somehow the Government has failed to get across the advantages and disadvantages of the legislation. Although it has been more than a year in the making, it once again missed the opportunity to run an effective information campaign on what the bulky 812-page law entails.
To be fair, the pandemic made it difficult to hold seminars or workshops to debate the Bill, and civil society groups are rightfully annoyed at not being consulted after it was tabled in Parliament. The media should also be faulted for not reporting the issue clearly, without the political garbage that went with it.
As a result, people were susceptible to different interpretations and easily persuaded to demonstrate against its enactment. Would a more media-savvy public be less confrontational? Maybe not, given how highly politicized the law became and the ease with which special interest groups are able to recruit rent-a-crowds to stir up public unrest. For sure, a better understanding of the legislation could have led to a better outcome for all.
Going forward, I believe media literacy should be mandatory in all educational programs. The earlier, the better.
Yuli Ismartono
