At the beginning of the pandemic, the mass media and social media appeared to be in competition to present information on Covid-19. After that, the public appears to be fed up with the massive volumes of das..
By
TOPAN YUNIARTO
·5 minutes read
The public appears to be fed up with the massive volumes of news and information on Covid-19 circulated widely on mass media and social media. Nevertheless, the public still monitors the news for the latest updates on the epidemic.
Psychologically, people’s weariness could be caused by a number of things, namely being at home for too long, uncertainty regarding when the pandemic will end, a slowing economy and the fact that thousands of people have lost their jobs due to this outbreak.
After becoming psychologically fed up, people seem to be "bombarded" with news about Covid-19. When the pandemic first broke out, many people still looked for information about the disease. At the beginning of the pandemic, the mass media and social media appeared to be in competition to present information on Covid-19.
No significant positive developments are being presented to the public.
Over time, the amount of information received by the public was very abundant and it can be said that every minute there is new information being presented on various media channels about Covid-19. Exposure to continuous and excessive information can actually make people frustrated and disinterested.
The results of a Kompas poll conducted on May 6-9, 2020, illustrates that most people (65.8 percent) were fed up with Covid-19 news. This is understandable because, possibly, the news content that is presented from day to day does not give hope to the community.
The perspective of the writing or articles presented on mass media could be said to put pressure on the community. No significant positive developments are being presented to the public.
The results of monitoring of the front page of six newspapers conducted by the Kompas Research and Development team from January to April 2020, showed a significant trend in the number of Covid-19 articles.
As of April 2020, 589 news articles on Covid-19 had been published on the front page as headlines or non-headlines in six national newspapers.
Many of the newspapers are critical of the government for its slow response to the pandemic. Criticism is understandable because the government is the one that has the authority to determine what steps will be taken to overcome this health crisis.
Many news outlets also published sad stories, focusing on the death of health workers such as doctors and nurses. Reporting on this topic can have two implications, namely increasing public empathy toward health workers and, on the contrary, raising people’s anxiety.
There have also been debates about the pros and cons of lockdowns. News about large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), which were not imposed simultaneously in all regions across Indonesia, or partially enforced, has given rise to various social impacts on society. The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 also continue to increase.
Only one-third of the respondents (33.3 percent) are not fed up with exposure to news related to Covid-19. This group of respondents can be categorized as those who do not see the flood of Covid-19 information as having no impact on them.
Also, it could be that the respondents in this group are those who are able to sort out which information can be trusted and which cannot. Or just the opposite, respondents in this group may not be too concerned about information related to Covid-19 and focus mostly on their daily activities.
In accordance to the results of this poll, even though they were fed up with Covid-19 news, there are still many people who continue to follow the news. Even though they are fed up, the public still hopes that by following news they will have a greater understanding of the pandemic and remain obedient to health protocols enforced by the government, including the ban on mudik (exodus) and the PSBB enforcement. The number of respondents in the group who still follow news on Covid-19 is quite large, namely 59.7 percent.
Meanwhile, as many as 36.1 percent of respondents said they had stopped following news on Covid-19. This phenomenon is an indication or an alarm for the media that the news about Covid-19 is no longer interesting for the public because no news facts are being presented that are considered beneficial to the community.
Perhaps, not many media have reported on what comes after the epidemic, what the public should do post-epidemic and what will the economic condition be post-epidemic.
Covid-19 hoax issue
In addition to the mainstream media, such as newspapers and television, whose content is consumed by the public, social media has contributed to the weariness of the public.
Social media is even believed to have had multiple effects compared to mainstream media because the information spread through social media is without filters and without editing processes. It is often not verified or factual.
The emergence of fake news or hoaxes and disinformation have trapped people in darkness over the truth of reality and real facts.
The Communications and Information Ministry routinely finds dozens of cases of hoax and disinformation every day. As of May 10, 2020, 673 cases of hoaxes and disinformation were recorded. This trend has been increasing since January.
Hoaxes and fake news can make the public fed up. There is nothing wrong with the content of journalistic works. But the public’s disinterest in Covid-19 news should prompt the media to present news that gives people hope.
The news about the death of maestro Didi Kempot, which made headlines in the mass media and become a trending topic on social media is a sad news for this nation because the deceased also contributed to the campaign against mudik (exodus) during the coronavirus pandemic and organized fundraising activities for those affected by Covid-19.
The news of Didi Kempot\'s death and the broadcasting of his concerts and his works for almost a week in almost all television stations served as a tribute to the singer. It can also divert the public’s attention and reduce the public’s disinterest in news about Covid-19.
Hopefully, not only news about public figures can kill boredom. Other kinds of news are expected to strengthen the spirit of the public. (Kompas R&D)