No voice of authority
When a government responds to choking toxic haze with bizarre boasts about "exporting oxygen," it reveals a broken communications machine that breeds distrust while lives hang in the balance.
No single institution can effectively communicate during crises in Indonesia, as the government's public communications apparatus is spread across several overlapping bodies. This fragmentation leads to a lack of coherent messaging, exacerbating distrust during times of emergency. The Government Communications Agency (Bakom), tasked with addressing the choking toxic haze, resorted to bizarre boasts about exporting oxygen, revealing a broken communication system.
The director of public information at the communications ministry further compounded the issue when she classified public concern as a potential disinformation threat, diverting attention from the real questions and deepening public skepticism. The government's response to the haze emergency has only served to heighten distrust and confusion among the affected regions.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
