Hoax Detection Through Analysis of Modality: A Systemic - Functional Linguistics Study

Speakers’ attitude which came from their doubts toward truth of an information influences the modality selection used. This study offered a step of hoax detection in a news text by paying attention on the use of its modality. This study was focused on the modality type, value, and orientation in Hoax Report of Legislative and President Election Internet Content Control Subdit for the period of August 2018 by Ministry of Communication and Information of Republic Indonesia which consisted of 60 news with a total of 284 clauses. The news was analyzed by using systemic functional linguistic approach with descriptive qualitative method using percentage technique. The study showed the type of modulation modality dominated in hoax; Based on the study, the modality dominating were middle degree obligation modulation and middle degree modalization probability, meanwhile middle degree modalization usuality and high degree of modulation inclination was rarely used; the modality orientation showed that the hoax revealed the involvement of suspect subjectively and used modality markers explicitly. Therefore, modality analysis through a functional systemic linguistic approach in a news text can be used as initial step of hoax detection..