The Media for Refuters of COVID-19 Reality
Finally, The public is split into the dichotomy between those believing the medical authority and the government, and those rejecting both.
Many people are still unwilling to acknowledge the reality and danger of the global coronavirus pandemic.
Their reasons may vary, beginning with quasi science, which presents a dependency theory styled analysis, claiming that the pandemic issue was created by super powers through their minion, the World Health Organization. There’s also an argument smacking of religion, parallel to quasi science but with scriptural quotes, stating that the virus comes from God and the COVID-19 issue is exaggerated by the media. The disease is also of divine origin, which is destiny, they say.
Whatever the reasons may be, these detractors do not believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is an empirical reality. We are actually seeing the phenomenon of a clash between the empirical reality versus the mental world. The virus is in fact invisible, which can only be manifested as information through the statements of the medical authority and the government. Therefore, it is highly debatable.
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Finally, The public is split into the dichotomy between those believing the medical authority and the government, and those rejecting both. Believing or not believing the COVID-19 pandemic reality is thus a consequence of their attitude.
Expression and media effect
Those refusing to recognize the global pandemic usually express their attitude by opposing the state personnel in charge of controlling COVID-19, as well as resorting to the extreme act of seizing the dead bodies of confirmed COVID-19 patients from hospitals. This is the tip of the iceberg of the mass attitude of disbelieving the pandemic.
What is mostly found and usually made viral is through social media. What happens in the minds of these people? And what is the role of the conventional media, particularly mainstream media? Before assuming that the mainstream media has failed in performing its function, it’s better to examine the extent of media access of this group of “unbelievers”.
Covid-19 hoax issue frequency
It’s because the mainstream conventional media over the last two years has been sufficiently reporting the coronavirus pandemic. The mainstream media basically executes its function in social life to convey factual information in order to touch on the aspects of public cognition and rationality.
With this institutional function, it should be distinguished from the media exclusively oriented to groups and that are partisan in nature, as well as media that focus more on causing a sensation in the public psyche as entertainment.
Workers of mainstream media have certainly been greatly exposed to COVID-19 information. If they aren’t yet impressed by reality, the question certainly does not concern the aspect of cognition but rather their mental condition. Theoretically, such a group is small among the public, so they can be called an anomaly in social life.
It can thus be hypothetically stated that only the people that have had insufficient mainstream media access insist on denying the COVID-19 pandemic reality today.
Categorically, it can be specified that this group indeed live under socioeconomic limitations and geographic constraints. Present in quite a large number scattered all over the country, they can only be reached structurally through state institutions because the spread and range of mainstream media are limited as an urban phenomenon.
For this purpose, mass communication should be organized by the leaders of local communities.
The other group actually has no conditional impediment in accessing mainstream media but they live in a closed “world” for maintaining the mind that is only ready to meet with members of the same group.
This group has two characteristics. First, they mentally reject the authority and legitimacy of the Republic of Indonesia. Second, they refuse to believe the information coming from mainstream media. This group is active on social media in real and virtual terms, intensively interacting only with those of the same ideology.
The expression disbelieving the empirical reality is made to hone the “belief” maintained in the group’s exclusive mind. Self-actualization as part of the group appears at every opportunity. With social media, they direct their online activities at their chosen group to mutually strengthen their internal bond.
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They become viral when their activities are “leaked” to other parties, later reaching the radar of local or state authorities. When under the power of the police, these persons concerned usually appear with a pitiable face, a statement of regret and an apology. It’s quite unlike the image they present on social media, which was dashing and strong.
Is the expression of regret via the mainstream media beneficial? This, of course, remains a question of whether the regret — leading to a public apology — is true or just an act of dramaturgy for the group of the same ideology. It can only be proven by the method of clinical psychology.
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Young people join the Bandung Anti Hoaks (Bandung Against Hoaxes) declaration organized by the Indonesian Anti-Libel Society (Mafindo) during Car Free Day on Jl. Ir Djuanda, Bandung, West Java, on March 31, 2019 (31/3/2019).
For these groups, an apology forced by the authorities may have a reverse effect and may even be seen as the arbitrary treatment of a citizen with a dissenting view. Any attitude deemed to go against Indonesia, also that of attorneys, has a popular term in the language of democracy: dissenting opinion. Likewise, their view of the mainstream media only reinforces their stance that the media is a mere collaborator of the state.
If the state is considered illegitimate, what about its collaborators? The attitude against the unitary state of Indonesia, as long as it’s not manifested in terrorism, can still be regarded as a dissenting view. However, this is unlike the disbelief of the pandemic, which endangers other fellow citizens. So, can this be regarded as a dissenting opinion?
Media weakness and opportunity
Every time content rejecting the COVID-19 pandemic reality appears on social and goes viral, on the one hand, we can look at it as an indication of the weakness of the country’s mainstream media in creating a rational public. The media hits a mental block if it has to face fanatics (true believers).
Apart from the failure to penetrate the wall, the present situation should encourage media people to intensify efforts turn the mainstream media into a social institution. They should focus on sharpening up the substance of facts gained from public empirical life on the one side, and the more interesting variants of factual information on the other.
The substance of facts has become an inherent part of the journalistic profession, whereas interesting information is that which is capable of inducing a healthy emotional effect on human life.
Generating feelings of being moved, sympathy for humanity, even empathy is possible and constitutes the noble side of the function of the media. This is the prospect beyond the media’s standard social function of promoting rationality.
(From left to right) Communication and Informatics Ministry expert Dedy Permadi, Chairman of Anti-Hoax Community Septiaji Eko Nugroho, President Director of Telkomsel Ririek Ardiansyah, Chairman of Advocacy Division of the Indonesian Journalist Association (PWI) who is also deputy managing editor of Kompas daily Tri Agung Kristanto become speakers of a discussion with the theme "Detecting Hoaxes as Smart Steps in Social Media". The event was held in conjunction with the commemoration of the National Press Day 2018 at the Convention Hall of Andalas University, Padang, West Sumatera, Wednesday (7/2). The discussion was presided over by head of the economic desk of Kompas daily Dewi Indriastuti (far right).
Features and in-depth reports that can enhance the positive values of humanity are increasingly needed amid the pandemic. Such coverage basically originates in soft reality, which is necessary to balance the hard reality in the form of pandemic control and health services, as well as economic efforts in public life.
The fundamental lesson in journalism on the soft reality connected with positive values, like social solidarity, pluralism and inclusivity, should be expanded to refine the humanitarian side of media readership.
The hard reality generally appearing in journalistic news is actual in nature, with social deviations or acts arising from the surface of society. Such reports, like corruption and other crimes, when cramming the media, make their readers befuddled.
A number of activists of the Anti-Defamation Society of Indonesian (Mafindo) carry pamphlets to remind the public about fake news or hoaxes along a pedestrian area during a car-free day in Jakarta, Sunday (12/2/2017). Coming into the regional elections cooling-off period, it is hoped that the people are not provoked by fake news or hoaxes.
This is even more so if the media management think it possible to dig deeper through a talk show, because what happens only elicits a response from someone’s innermost mind with a favoring view originating in a cult and an opposing view arising from hatred.
This is the media’s weakness in trying to secure the depth of hard reality through the mind of a resource person.
News and soft reality that build sympathy and empathy will ease the confusion. In this way, the media not only serves as a social institution but also plays the role of a cultural institution that enriches the humanitarian side of the public.
By this means, a general public with a gentler and healthier social appreciation is expected to emerge.
Ashadi Siregar
On the internal side of media world, increasing the frequency of journalistic training for soft reality coverage is useful for journalists to heighten their noble character in executing their profession. It’s even worthwhile if this profession can at the same time awaken their imaginations of the tragic and jubilant sides of human life.
Ashadi Siregar, Media Observer and Novelist
(This article was translated by Aris Prawira)
