Malawi Elections 2009 : UNDP engages media on ethical reporting on elections

In a bid to fully engage the media to effectively report on the May 09, 2009 elections, UNDP in collaboration with Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) held a one day colloquium for news editors and reporters from both the electronic and print media to deliberate on issues affecting elections reporting in Malawi.

Speaking when he opened the meeting, the interim UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Joseph Mugore challenged the media to have the welfare of the country at heart when making decisions on what to print or broadcast to ensure that they do not bring chaos between dissenting views.

Dr. Mugore said the media is the only source of information for most people and they believe what they read, listen or watch in the media as the truth a thing, he said, puts enormous responsibility on the media to always check their facts and balance their stories before publishing.
He said the UNDP still considers the media as a critical stakeholder within the broader development agenda of Malawi and currently towards the achievement of successful Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in May, 2009.

At the meeting MEC engaged the media in a discussion on the Malawi Electoral Law and other legal instruments that govern the conduct of elections and the mandates different stakeholders have in the electoral process.

Among other things, the discussion zeroed in on what the law says on the composition of the electoral commission, its powers and other pieces of legislation that govern the conduct of elections in Malawi.

Henzily Munkhondya, Head of Electoral Services at the MEC told the gathering that it is imperative that the media employs these statutes in their reporting as both reference material and authority.

The meeting also discussed the Malawi Media Code of Conduct and its relationship with the Media Code of Conduct for the Elections which, with the support of the UNDP, the media, MEC and Media Council of Malawi formulated to govern the reporting of the electoral process.

The meeting further discussed the key stakeholders in the electoral process, their roles and how the media can interact with them to ensure their contribution to the process is known and appreciated or questioned by the electorate.

Mr. Costly Mtogolo, a lecturer in the University of Malawi and one of the facilitators for the colloquium, said journalism, like any profession has its dictates enshrined in the media codes of conduct as rules and regulations of the practice to be followed at all times.

He said the media in Malawi is lucky that apart from the overall code of conduct enforced by the Media Council of Malawi, UNDP facilitated the development of an elections specific code of conduct as a reference for editors and reporters during the election period.

The code for elections covers issues of balance and impartiality, voter education and information, the time vouchers that the electronic apportions different competing parties in the elections to air their views, professional practice, complaints, procedure and enforcement and handling of opinion polls during the elections.

He said it is important for editors to frequently refer to the document when making decision on what to publish to ensure the information that is given to the populace is impartial and balanced.

Mtogolo said the power of the media in influencing opinion and setting agenda should be used with caution and responsibility to ensure that it is not used as a tool for alarming people, promoting conflict or sensationalising issues in order to sell more and maximise profit.

The Dean, Faculty of education and Media Studies Grey Mang'anda and a facilitator at the colloquium, urged the media to refrain from taking gifts from politicians and other players in the course of executing their duties saying such favours may influence the way one reports thereby not presenting the truth.

He added that, especially during the campaign period, politicians would want to be heard and they use such unwarranted incentives to earn favours from the media to be portrayed positively at the expense of the media's integrity and ethical practice.

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