Jokowi Urges Media Outlets to Combat Fake News
This article was updated on Thursday (04/05) at 5 p.m. to add footage of President Joko Widodo's speech.
Jakarta. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said the media should uphold their duty to prevent viral hoaxes and hate speech from circulating on social media and online news outlets.
"Both mainstream and online media outlets should correct false news or reports, lies, hoaxes and hate speeches and provide the public with hard facts," Jokowi said following a dinner function to honor the awardee of the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize in Jakarta on Wednesday evening (03/05).
The media, Jokowi continued, should function as a filter and oppose fake news, urging mainstream news outlets to not promote false reports or hoaxes that ultimately mislead the public.
"Do not allow fake news to run amok, do not let false stories to go viral," the president added.
He also said freedom of the press in Indonesia – a guarantee of the post-Suharto era – should be implemented with responsibility.
The 2017 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize was awarded to Eritrean-Swedish journalist Dawit Isaak, who was represented at Wednesday's event by his daughter, Bethlehem Isaak.
Isaak was awarded the prize for his commitment and struggle to defend freedom of the press around the world. In 2001, he was arrested during a riot against the Eritrean government for cracking down on the media.
Isaak has since been held without trial in prison and is considered a traitor by the Eritrean government.
His whereabouts and condition remain unknown.
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