Be critical and knowledgeable of what you read online.

That is the key to combatting fake news, often dubbed the “cancer of democracy,” and preventing it from reaching Indonesia’s 129 million active social media users, according to panelists speaking at a commemoration of World Press Freedom Day.

The country has seen a growing wave of fake news polarizing opinions since the 2014 presidential elections, when divisive political campaigns sparked an allout war of words — and memes — across social media platforms.

Tensions escalated once more during the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial elections, the campaigns of which fostered growing sectarian sentiments and the rampant spread of fabricated news stories.

Maintaining a critical mind when reading news disseminated online is crucial in preventing the spread of both fake news and, subsequently, hate speech, according to speakers of a World Press Freedom Day discussion held in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Panelists at the event agreed that the digital media and information literacy could serve as effective methods of countering hate speech, misinformation and polarization online.

Empowering media consumers with the appropriate knowledge and tools to navigate the internet wisely and to interpret information critically would help people from being trapped in hateful discourse.

Popular

Java airports grounded by low demand, poor planning

Trump says Indonesia to face 19 percent tariff under trade deal

ASML warns it may not achieve growth in 2026, shares drop