Name : Nadia Dwi Swastiti

NIM : 16017065
Class : 05

Fake News

On 25th December 2017, Nyshka Chandran, a reporter for CNBC Asia-Pacific,

write an article on the CNBC.com about fake news that updated on 26th December 2017
(https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/25/fake-news-was-a-weapon-in-asia-in-2017.html).
The article “’Fake News’ Can be Very Dangerous, and Events this Year in Asia Proved
it,” concerns the fake news influenced three political events in Asia in 2017. Based on the
title, my opinion about the article is discuss about fake news influenced some political
events that happened in Asia.
According to Wikipedia, fake news is a type of yellow journalism or propaganda
that consists of deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional print and
broadcast news media or online social media. Fake news can be very dangerous. Many
fake news was made intentionally, inflamed major political events in Southeast Asia in
2017. In Indonesia, Myanmar and Philippines, misinformation and disinformation made
already bad situations worse. The spread misinformation and disinformation have been
used to bolster hate speech, stereotypes and propaganda. Fake news is closely linked to
domestic politics and in particular, the rise of nationalism. The more pervasive the politics
of nationalism, the more ubiquitous fake news will be.
Charges of blasphemy against Jakarta Governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, triggered
inaccurate stories about politician that was disseminated to prevent him from winning re-
election of the Jakarta Governor. Those reports made him eventually sentenced to two

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years in prison. Inaccurate news sources can be referred to as fake news. Fake news is
beneficial to the person who created it and can harm the parties involved in it.
In Myanmar, both civilians and the state are responsible for creating misleading
information regarding Rohingya Muslims, an ethnic group widely regarded as illegal
immigrants by the country's Buddhist-majority population. Local media makes different
news from the actual circumstances, a view also espoused by the government. It makes
the public view unsuitable for the actual situation. So, it can be derimental the Rohingyas.
Meanwhile, misleading articles in favor of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte
have bolstered the leader's strongman image. During the campaign, Duterte conducted an
internet "troll" to attack critics and spread pro-government propaganda that has the look
of legitimate news articles. Hoax endorsements for the president should not be supported.
No matter who created fake news, fake news must be prevented and followed up.
In southeast asia, cyberspace becomes the best place for the development of fake
news. Many countries in Southeast Asia make facebook as the main news source. The
majority of people trust information that shared by friends on their networks. Before they
trust the information shared, they should be sure of the truth and look for the source.
Based on the article, I agree that there should be an effort to prevent the spread of
fake news. Fake news can mislead readers about that article. The impact of fake news
will be overwhelming, including social, economic, political, security, and threatening the
integrity of the state. With the prevention of fake news, the actual information will be
well conveyed.

Source: Chandran, Nyshka. 2017. ’Fake News’ Can be Very Dangerous, and Events this
Year in Asia Proved it (https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/25/fake-news-was-a-weapon-in-
asia-in-2017.html) (accessed on 17th April 2018).