ECP issues: 15-point code of conduct for media

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday issued a 15-point code of conduct for media during coverage of the general election scheduled to be held on July 25. According to the ECP, airtime for parties that have been banned or are operating under new names and are publicly engaged in violent acts or opposed to the democratic process and constitutional framework should be avoided.
All media organizations have a duty to ensure that the public is properly informed about relevant electoral matters such as political parties, candidates, campaign issues and voting processes, it said. "Publicly owned media have a specific mandate requiring fairness and non-discrimination in their election reporting and not to discriminate against any political party or candidate," it said.
The code of conduct said that direct access programs by the state media should be aired at times when the broadcasts are likely to reach the largest audience. The duty of balance would be deemed to have been breached if the programs of some parties/candidates are aired at less favorable times than those of others.
Direct access slots should be made available by the private media on equitable financial terms for all parties/ candidates, it said, adding that state media should provide all parties/candidates with a reasonable amount of time free of charge.
A party/candidate is to be allowed to purchase airtime/space for political advertisements and they should have access to such time/space in a transparent manner in accordance with the code of ethics for political parties, it said.
The code of conduct also stresses for professional standards and accuracy, balance and impartiality as far as possible. News media will try the best of its ability that news, current affairs, interviews, talk-shows, analyses and information programs are not biased in favor of, or against, any party or candidate, it said.
The code of conduct said that while it is not always possible to cover all candidates in an election, media should strive to ensure that all candidates/parties will be subject to journalistic scrutiny and appropriate media coverage according to its area of the target audience. "Freedom of expression and the rights of journalists to report freely should be respected by all parties/candidates and state authorities during the election," it said.
Media have a duty to respect and promote tolerance and avoid all forms of expression that might be interpreted as incitement to violence or hatred on the basis of religion, creed, gender or ethnicity, it said. The code of conduct said that there should be no prior censorship of any election coverage/program, adding that all political parties and state institutions must issue a clear statement that the media will not be penalized for broadcasting/publishing programs/contents merely because they are critical of a certain party or a type of politics.
"Neither the authorities nor media outlets should interfere in broadcast of any election program or election coverage unless there is a real danger or threat of imminent harm and violence," it said.
Media will not be held responsible legally for unlawful statements made by candidates or party representatives and broadcast during the course of election campaigns. This, however, will not apply to the repeat/recorded telecasts or publications, it said.
"The duty of balance requires that parties/candidates receive news coverage commensurate with their relative importance in the election and the extent of their potential electoral support," it said.
The code of conduct said that state and private media are urged to keep a clear distinction among editorial and opinion, and news and paid content. There will not be paid or sponsored news, election evaluation, analysis and editorial opinion.
All paid materials, media campaigns for elections paid by candidates or their supporters must be clearly shown as paid advertisements/campaign/content and should be done in a transparent manner in accordance with the code of ethics for elections issued by the ECP, it said.
"State and private media will make every effort to ensure that space/airtime should be allocated on a relative proportionate basis according to objective criteria indicating general levels of support for different parties," it said.
The code of conduct said that candidates standing for office should not, however, act as anchors or presenters during the election period.
Voter education programs must endeavor to be accurate and impartial and must attempt effectively to inform voters about the voting process, including how, when and where to vote, to register to vote and to verify proper registration, the secrecy of the ballot (and thus safety from retaliation}, the importance of voting, the functions of the offices that are under contention, and similar matters, it said.
The code of conduct said if a broadcaster/newspaper publishes the results of an opinion poll or election projection, they should strive to report the results fairly and in a proper context explaining the scope and limits of such polls that have their own peculiar limitations.
"Opinion polls should be accompanied by information to assist viewers/listeners to understand the poll's significance, such as who conducted, commissioned and paid for the poll, the methodology used, the sample size, the margin of error, the fieldwork dates, and data used," it said.
The code of conduct barred broadcasters from airing any final, formal and definite elections results without the consent and or they will be aired only with a clear disclaimer that they are unofficial, incomplete and partial results which should not be taken as final results until the ECP announces final results.
The ECP will evolve a suitable mechanism for the implementation of media code of ethics prepared by the representatives of various media organizations, it said.
The complaint committee will be headed by additional director general (PR) ECP and will comprise representatives from the PBA, APNS, PCP, CPNE, PTV, PBC, NPC, PFUJ, SAFMA and SAWN.