Preventing Disinformation in Indonesia Ahead of the 2024 Elections

Program Year: 2023

In anticipation of disinformation ahead of the 2024 elections, The Asia Foundation, in partnership with the National Resilience Agency and Katadata, hosted the public discussion “Counteracting Disinformation in the Political Year” on May 4, 2023. This event highlighted the need for media literacy and methods of determining information accuracy for the public before the elections.

In her welcome speech, The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Indonesia Hana Satriyo noted that over the past two presidential elections, Indonesia saw growing dissemination of disinformation and hoaxes through social media and messaging applications such as WhatsApp.

Speakers from diverse professional backgrounds offered their insights and perspectives to in-person and online audiences. Keynote speaker and Governor of the National Resilience Institute Andi Widjajanto presented six strategies to prevent information disruption ahead of the 2024 elections. The six strategies outlined stressed the need for expanding public action and awareness around media literacy and critical thinking skills, monitoring the spread of disinformation, and responding promptly to perpetrators. Widjajanto also emphasized that more transparent elections, collaboration across institutions, and mitigating cross-border information disruption could help prevent disinformation disruption.

A group of men and women at an event stand on stage in front of large screen with a promotional graphic

Other speakers included National Resilience Institute Deputy of Strategic Studies Reni Mayerni, along with Loina Lalolo K.Perangin-angin of the R&D Committee of the Indonesian Anti-Slander Community, Arif Zulkifli, the Press Council member in charge of complaint and press ethics enforcement; and Rieke Diah Pitaloka, member of the People’s Representative Council.

“Counteracting Disinformation in the Political Year” was part of the Reclaiming Civic Space to Promote Democratic Resilience Project, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The program supports youth, marginalized groups, civil society coalitions, and citizen journalists to contribute to political and development discourse at the local level in Aceh, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Maluku.


Translation

Menangkal Disinformasi di Tahun Politik Menjelang Indonesia 2024

Dalam rangka mengantisipasi penyebaran berita bohong menjelang Pemilu 2024, The Asia Foundation bekerja sama dengan Lembaga Ketahanan Nasional dan Katadata, mengadakan diskusi publik bertajuk, “Menangkal Disinformasi di Tahun Politik”, yang berlangsung pada 4 Mei 2024. Diskusi yang secara khusus menggali pentingnya literasi media dan bagaimana mengenali informasi yang akurat. Ringkasnya, hal-hal yang penting dipahami sebelum pemilu tahun depan.

Country Representative The Asia Foundation Indonesia Hana Satriyo, dalam sambutannya mencatat bagaimana pada dua pemilihan presiden terakhir, terjadi peningkatan arus penyebaran berita bohong atau hoaks melalui social media dan aplikasi pesan instant seperti WhatsApp.

Menghadirkan pembicara dengan beragam latar belakang profesi, banyak masukan dan perspektif menarik yang dapat dipetik hadirin, baik yang mengikuti secara langsung mau pun online. Pembicara utama dan Gubernur Lemhannas, Andi Widjajanto, memaparkan strategi pemerintah untuk menghadapi disrupsi informasi menjelang pemilu 2024. Keenam strategi tersebut merujuk pada pentingnya memperluas aksi untuk meningkatkan pemahaman publik terhadap literasi media dan kemampuan berpikir kritis, memonitor penyebaran informasi, serta menindak langsung pelaku penyebaran disinformasi. Widjajanto juga menekankan pentingnya pemilu yang transparan, kolaborasi antar institusi, dan menjembatani kerja sama internasional untuk mitigasi disrupsi informasi lintas wilayah.

Deputi Bidang Pengkajian Strategis Lemhannas, Reni Mayerni, hadir sebagai pembicara bersama dengan Loina Lalolo K. Perangin-angin, Presidium Komite Litbang MAFINDO, Arif Zulkifli, Ketua Komisi Hukum dan Perundang-Undangan Dewan Pers; dan Rieke Diah Pitaloka, anggota DPR.

“Menangkal Disinformasi di Tahun Politik” merupakan bagian dari “Pemulihan Ruang Sipil untuk Ketahanan Demokrasi”, yang didanai oleh Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Program yang mendukung kaum muda, kelompok terpinggirkan, koalisi masyarakat sipil, dan citizen journalism untuk berpartisipasi dalam diskursi politik serta pembangunan daerah di Aceh, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, dan Maluku.

Related locations: Indonesia
Related programs: Good Governance
Related topics: Elections

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