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After being held in dozens of cities throughout Indonesia, the Google News Initiative Training Network took place in Lhokseumawe on November 8-9, 2018 for some of journalists. A day later, a Hoax Busting and Digital Hygiene seminar was held for the general public.

Training for journalists and the general public took place at Harun Square Hotel, Lhokseumawe. Two presenters, Hendra Makmur and Hotli Simanjuntak, Google News Initiative (GNI) trainers, accompanied by Geril Dwira, AJI Indonesia staff, provided journalists with an understanding of various things such as the hoax's news verification method and using various tools available for free.

In the training, journalists from various media were trained on how to maximize the tools on the internet in conducting online verification of information circulating in cyberspace. "This training is certainly very important for journalists in order to maximize the tools available on the internet to obtain accurate data. In addition, they are familiar with a number of methods of data tracking, and security in the digital world," saya Hendra Makmur, who is also the Sumatra Region Coordinator AJI Indonesia.

Hotli Simanjuntak says, the journalists must be more careful in accepting every information and must verify. "In this activity we provide various material about the introduction of hoaxes or hoaxes, differences in misinformation and disinformation and the introduction of devices on the internet to anticipate and know the truth of news circulating in cyberspace," said Hotli, who is also a photographer for the EPA news agency.

Hotli said, there are many tools on the internet that can be used to reduce the adverse effects of hoaks that occur in the community.

The Google News Initiative Training Network is held by Google, the Alliance of Independent Journalists and Internews. []

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Google News Initiative Training Network for Journalist at Lhokseumawe

Setelah digelar di puluhan kota di seluruh Indonesia, Google News Initiative Network berlangsung di Lhokseumawe pada 8-9 November 2018 bagi puluhan jurnalis. Sehari kemudian, digelar seminar Hoax Busting and Digital Hygiene bagi masyarakat umum.

Training bagi jurnalis dan masyarakat umum itu berlangsung di Harun Square Hotel, Lhokseumawe. Dua pemateri, Hendra Makmur dan Hotli Simanjuntak, trainer Google News Initiative (GNI), didampingi Geril Dwira, staf AJI Indonesia, memberikan pemahaman bagi jurnalis tentang berbagai hal seperti metode memverifikasi berita hoax’s dan menggunakan berbagai tools yang tersedia dengan gratis.

Dalam pelatihan itu, para jurnalis dari berbagai media dilatih cara memaksimalkan tools di internet dalam melakukan verifikasi online terhadap informasi yang banyak beredar di dunia maya.

"Pelatihan ini tentu sangat penting bagi para jurnalis supaya dapat memaksimalkan tools yang tersedia di internet untuk memperoleh data yang akurat. Selain itu, mengenal sejumlah metode penelusuran data, dan melakukan pengamanan diri di dunia digital," ujar Hendra Makmur, yang juga Kordinator Wilayah Sumatera AJI Indonesia.

Hotli Simanjuntak menyebutkan, jurnalis harus lebih berhati-hati dalam menerima setiap informasi dan wajib melakukan verifikasi.

"Dalam kegiatan ini kita berikan berbagai materi tentang pengenalan hoaks atau berita bohong, perbedaan misinformasi dan disinformasi serta pengenalan perangkat di internet guna mengantisipasi dan mengetahui kebenaran berita yang beredar di dunia maya," ujar Hotli, yang juga fotografer kantor berita EPA.

Hotli menyebutkan, ada banyak tools di internet yang bisa digunakan untuk mengurangi dampak buruk hoaks yang terjadi di tengah masyarakat.

Google News Initiative Training Network digelar atas kerja sama Google, Aliansi Jurnalis Independen, dan Internews.[]

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Photos by Hotli Simanjuntak, Rahmat Mirza, and Fazil Jealson.