The Media Get Trained On Election Coverage

Inadequate resources, poor training, insufficient personnel, and lack of funds, were some of the reasons cited by the media as constraints that normally prevent them from doing justice to the professional coverage of elections.

This was highlighted during a one-day consultative workshop on election coverage, organized by the Namibia Institute of Democracy (NID) on 4 August 2009. The workshop was aimed at equipping the media with skills on how to report accurately and fairly on all aspects of the election processes, including providing comprehensive and balanced coverage of election results.
 
However, workshop facilitator Tangeni Amupadhi stressed that despite the constraints, the media still has the function of informing the public on the election process, as a way of participating in the democratic processes of the country. He said the media should be on advantage position as it plays the role of public service provision by making sure that it provides information to the public so that the public can make their own informed decisions. Amupadhi noted that during the election campaigns, political parties would be launching their manifestos.  The media’s function will be to critically dissect the information from these plans of intent and package them for the readers.

The workshop resolved that the media is to ensure that fair and objective reporting and information dissemination is achieved during their coverage of election. The workshop draw participants from various media houses, media training institutions, and civil societies.

Reagan Malumo
Programme Officer: Media Freedom Monitoring and Research
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Regional Secretariat
21 Johann Albrecht St
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek
Namibia
Phone: +264 61 232 975
Fax: +264 61 248 016
Mobile: +264 81 311 2626
E mail: reagan@misa.org

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