The Independent Media Commission (IMC) has released its Report on just concluded June 24 multi-tier elections in which they have commended the media for contributing in reporting accurate and balanced stories to the members of the public.
The Report continued that during the pre-electioneering, election day and post elections period of June 24 the media landscape across the country recorded significant improvements in election coverage and political reporting noting that political parties’ activities in pre-election era were marked by professional coverage and dissemination of truthful information on the activities of political parties’ candidates.
They furthered that the media institutions and practitioners were very pivotal in creating the platform for political parties and candidates to publish their statements and press releases together with other forms of communications to the targeted audience.
Also, the members of the public were having an opportunity through both print and electronic media platforms in order to give their diverse view on electioneering process, peace and national cohesion within their respective community across the country.
They however mentioned some of the media houses both from the electronic and print media whose publications were marred by proactive statements, personality attacks, inciting and insulting languages that has the tendency of creating mayhem in society but greater extent the media conformed to IMC Elections coverage and Reporting Regulations for 2022.
They further informed that the media reported political parties’ manifestos of both the ruling and the opposition parties who came out to launch their manifestos for the election. Adding that these manifestos were reported by various media institutions without bias or favour.
They concluded that media coverage, political advertising and reporting during the elections both on electronic and print media were to large extent fair and equitable to political parties even though there were some newspapers that allied themselves with political parties.
Also, the few political advertising that surfaced in the media were therefore not offensive due to the fact that the media had been thoroughly sensitised on handling political advertising.
