TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Fake news rampant in health-related issues: PWI
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Shutterstock.com/File (Shutterstock/File)
I
ndonesian Journalists Association (PWI) secretary Wina Armada Sukardi said on Monday that according to the results of PWI research, health-related issues were often subject to fake news.
Wina said 27 percent of 1,000 fake news stories used as samples in the research were about health-related issues. Political and entertainment news came in second and third place with 22 percent and 15 percent, respectively.
He added that netizens bought into the fake news and helped distribute it because these people lacked knowledge about the issues being discussed.
"Netizens who spread fake news usually don't know anything about the content. They just feel that it's going to be useful," Wina said on the sidelines of a World Press Freedom event in Jakarta.
He added that some fake news usually carried sensational titles such as "Sebarkan" (Please, spread it!), and "Lawan" (Fight it).
"The source of fake news is also not clear. For example, if news story says that the fact mentioned is based on a study conducted earlier by an American physician, it fails to detail which physician conducted the study," he said. (rdi/dmr)
