2014 TRIPARTITE ELECTION:The role of the media

MESN Elections Review Conference

Lilongwe, June 27, 2014

Anthony Kasunda

MISA Malawi

Contents● Introduction: Background● Media Role in Elections● Coverage of the May 20 Poll● Efforts to ensure free and fair Elections

● Media Monitoring ● Presidential Debates

● Training for journalists● Challenges● Interventions● Way Forward● Conclusion

1.0 Introduction: Background The Malawi Media has grown from 1 radio outlet

and 2 newspapers in the early 1990s to 61 operational outlets todate.Broadcasting sector: 19 Community radios,

19 religious radios,14 commercial radios and 26 television stations, totaling 78

Print media: 15 outlets, with 2 dailiesSocial/online media

Most of these outlets focus on a specific audience, geographical area or community of interest but some have a national reach with a diversity of content to cater for a wider populace.

Intro…cont These outlets are driven by different imperatives

and serve different interest, but overall, the growth in the sector has increased sources of information for Malawians.

More importantly, this growth in the sector gives us the opportunity to effectively raise awareness and set the agenda on critical issues such as elections.

But what is the role of the media generally when it comes to elections?

2.0 Media role in elections As far as Elections are concerned, the media can:

• Raise awareness on the electoral process including

candidates, processes and procedures • Advocate for sufficient allocation of resources to the electoral process, civic education

• Report on challenges, failures and neglect; • Highlight successes; • Hold government and all relevant actors accountable to

the commitments made to ensure a free and fair poll • Ensure equal platform and access to the media by all contestants and playersBut how did the media cover the 2014 Tripartite Elections?

3.0 Coverage of the elections Media coverage of the 2014 elections can be looked at

from (3) angles: pre, post, during and post May 20. Pre May 20 Elections:

• Significant focus on the Presidential poll compared to Parliamentary and Local government elections

• Significant focus on the People’s Party and the then incumbent Joyce Banda when compared to coverage of other candidates

• Joyce Banda and PP getting the lions share of both negative and positive publicity

•Continued bias by State media in favour of party in power. There was substantial coverage of the PP and Joyce Banda

Coverage of the elections…cont Coverage of polling and post May 20:

•Media used as complaints committee by most parties

•Media tended to focus on unverified and unsubstantiated claims and allegations (such rigging)

•Significant focus still on the Presidential poll compared to Parliamentary and Local government elections

•Over focus on events rather than issues and processes

Media coverage...cont Follow up on Registration exercise Scrutiny of verification exercise and

voters roll Scrutiny of candidates Coverage of campaign Follow up of Ballot papers Polling day challenges Announcement of unofficial results

Print media Fair and equitable coverage generally There was deliberate effort to introduce special

pull outs on elections Ownership of two major newspapers apolitical Very few new publications that have come up No organised propaganda reporting so far

Electronic media MBC was a concern to major players in the media. But

there was great improvement during the official campaign period

Ownership of some radio stations which has a bearing on the content

Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) regulates radios and television stations

Macra has monitoring unit which was producing regular reports (it was looking at time allocated to each party/candidate)

Broadcasting Complaints Committee instituted Macra has mandate to reprimand any broadcaster

4.0 Efforts to ensure free and fair polls

MISA and its partners implemented a number of activities to ensure equal access to the media and improve media coverage of the 2014 polls:

•Training for Journalists

•Media monitoring

•Presidential Debates

•Citizen Journalism

4.1 Trainings for Journalists MISA trained 60 journalists to improve media coverage

of the elections The trainings took place in Lilongwe and Mzuzu

targeting all media practitioners from both print and electronic

The training were conducted by the Institute for the advancement of Journalism – Cape Town, and a local trainer from the Journalism Department, UNIMA.

The training focused on online reporting, bottom up approaches to elections reporting, Electoral Laws and Media Ethics

4.2 Media Monitoring The IWPR in collaboration with MISA Malawi, the UNIMA

and MIJ, with funding from USAID and DFID, monitored media coverage of the elections to inform our advocacy on free and fair coverage of the elections.

As noted already, MACRA monitors the media A final report will be produced in a few weeks time but

the most important aspect of the monitoring is that the media tended to focus more on the Presidential Elections compared the Local and Parliamentary Polls

The media also focused more on the then incumbent and ruling party when compared to other parties and contestants

Radio Coverage of Tripartite Elections (%)

Radio Coverage of Presidential Aspirants (%)

TV Coverage (%) MBC & Times

Newspapers coverage

Online coverage

4.3 Presidential Debates The Media and other stakeholders organized three (3)

Presidential Debates to create an equal platform for all contestants to engage Malawians and market their manifestos

The debates generated mixed reactions across the country but it cannot be refuted that the candidates were all given the same platform and podium to engage Malawians

Five radio stations and two Television stations broadcast the debates live (including MBC)

MISA considers this approach very important in a democracy as it provides equal access to the media

4.4 Citizen Journalism As part of the elections, MISA participated in a project called

Situation Room which was being implemented by MESN and several local CSO groups. The Situation Room included a component on Citizens Journalism aimed at encouraging citizens to participate in the electoral process by sharing their experiences by simply sending a text to 58683.

The approach helped develop an active citizens to generate evidence-based information about what is going on around Polling Stations in different constituencies.

The incidents were verified and reported on a real-time basis and made accessible on http://chisankho.malawivote2014.org so that the correct information is disseminated to stop any form of rumor mongering and igniting violence of any sort.

5.0 Challenges Overall, media tried its best to provide the electorate with

information on the electoral process. It provided an update on proceedings across the country which helped calm fears especially after May 20. However, the following challenges come to mind: Most information lacked credibility and evidence.

• Media allowed itself to be used as a ‘mere means to an end’ as most electoral players used it to achieve their selfish interests. Media turned into a complaints committee

• Media tended to focus on events and not processes and issues

• Some practitioners failed to abide by the media Code of Conduct and allowed to be used as tools of selfish politicians

6.0 Interventions Signing of Code of Conduct Macra issuing periodic monitoring reports MEC engaging MBC management including the

board MISA and Media Council of Malawi seeking

commitment from the Minister of Information to intervene. Eventually, there was change

Broadcasting Complaints Committee formed with full mandate to arbitrate

Private media filling the gap by giving balanced news coverage

7.0 Way Forward Need for extensive training for journalists on the coverage

of tripartite elections especially in investigative skills Media should provide equitable coverage to all

participating political parties and candidates regardless of perceived “size”

MEC should be mandated to take action against media houses that defy Code of Conduct

Media need to establish strong collaboration with other stakeholders

Need to incorporate Presidential debates into the electoral law

Need for clear guidelines on announcement of unofficial results

8.0 Conclusion

?

Quote

“In a democracy, someone who fails to get elected to office can always console

himself with the thought that there was something not quite fair about it.”

Unknown author

Thank you!!!