By Vincent Gunde
The National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice Trust) in Dowa, says a free, fair, credible and transparent elections is not only about how to cast a vote but participatory process where the voters engage in public debate and share information about parties, candidates and the election process to make informed choices.
The Nice Trust said the media acts as a crucial watchdog to democratic elections, safeguarding the transparency of the process saying in order to fulfill their roles, the media need to maintain a high level of professionalism, accuracy and impartiality in their coverage.
Speaking during an interface meeting with investigative journalists of the district at Mponela , Nice Trust District Programs Officer for Dowa Alinafe Chikakuda, called on journalists to refrain from broadcasting anything that might be a means of pressure, intimidation, mistrust or promise of material or in-kind.
Chikakuda said as journalists, they have a role to provide a platform for political parties and candidates to communicate their message to the electorate, calling on them to maintain equal distance towards all parties in order to correctly exercise their role as critical observers of the electoral process.
She advised journalists to be accurate in their reporting, verifying information with the sources, balanced, neutral and respectful of human dignity and avoid misleading voters, respecting the privacy of the voting stations and meet all candidates impartially.
The District Programs Officer said journalists have a duty to educate the voters on how to exercise their democratic rights and report on the development of the election campaign bearing in mind their roles in democratization process such as providing information, analysis, watchdog, open forum for debate and discussion, social representation and entertainment.
She advised journalists to examine opinion polls closely before deciding to use them, that surveys can influence, even distort the democratic process claiming that some surveys are designed specifically to manipulate the public opinion and the media.
“A free and independent press is a cornerstone of democracy, it is crucial for credible elections, promoting political debate and keeps government accountable to an informed citizenry,” said Chikakuda.
In his remarks, one of the participant, Beston Simwaka of Chisomo Radio Station, thanked Nice Trust in the district for organizing the meeting saying this has equipped them with knowledge of election reporting to reach out to all as eyes of the citizens.
