Speakers at a workshop on 'Election Reporting for Media' said that overall aim of media coverage during election campaigns in democratic countries should be fair and objective. A training workshop for journalists on improving local media reporting on local elections and electoral reforms for the journalists of Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara , Pakpattan and Sahiwal on Monday.
The workshop was organised by Intermedia and Democracy Reporting International. The workshop was attended by Country Director Democracy Reporting International, Katherine Vittum and Assistant Election Commissioner, Abdul Hameed.
Speakers also said that objective reporting needs effective measures such as a just allocation of broadcasting time between all the competing parties and candidates, (voluntary) agreements on fair news programmes, reports, and non-news programmes, or debates between party leaders.
They also said that it was crucial in the first instance to ensure that every party or independent candidate has access to the media, in particular radio and or television, since most voters gain information through the media. Speaking on the occasion trainer of the workshop Zaigham Khan said that the media has a role to inform the citizens about the competing political parties and their programmes and candidates, and to contribute to the formation of opinion of the electorate.
This may include formal voter education material provided by the electoral management body; alternatively or additionally, the media themselves may produce their own voter education materials. He said that manipulation could take place during the designing of the programmes, reports and news, discussion programmes, and even non-news programmes, such as pure entertainment shows and movies.
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