By Jethro Ibileke
Ahead of the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states, journalists have been reminded of the need for accurate and balanced reporting to avoid tension and conflicts.
Experts from the media and civil society advised on Wednesday, at a Webinar titled: Conflict Sensitive Reporting and Election: Best Practices and Ethical Considerations in Edo State.
The Webinar was organized by the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, in collaboration with the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Programme.
The Edo gubernatorial election comes up on 21 September, while that of Ondo state will be held on 16 November 2024.
Achike Chude, the Deputy Chairman of the Joint Action Front and National Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in his presentation titled “Ethical Considerations and Best Practices for Journalists During Elections Reporting,” stated that journalists were responsible for reporting electoral matters to properly inform the electorate.
He noted that elections determine the standard of living, security of life and property, and the responsibility and accountability of political office holders, and as such journalists must be focused while reporting elections, whether at national or sub-national levels.
“Issues of elections are critical to the development of any country. As such, the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies, civil society groups, and the media must forge a healthy synergy to ensure the successful conduct and reportage of polls.
“Unfortunately, in Nigeria, some security agencies and the electoral body sometimes collude with unscrupulous politicians to undermine the electoral process. To that extent, journalists are usually caught up in the middle of electoral violence, but they (reporters) must ensure their safety first and be very knowledgeable about the laws that govern elections at any point in time,” Chude said.
In her presentation on Conflict Sensitive Reporting and Elections with a Focus on Governorship and Presidential Elections, the Executive-in-Charge of Media Mentors, Journalism Centre, Joke Kujenya; identified the core principles of Conflict conflict-sensitive reporting as accuracy, balance, avoiding stereotypes, minimizing harm, and remaining consistent.
She noted that conflict-sensitive reporting involves careful coverage of events, particularly elections, to prevent exacerbating tensions and conflicts, as well as ensure that journalism upholds ethical standards while contributing to peace and stability.
Kujenya therefore charged reporters to be objective in their reports of the polls, as Edo remains one of the sensitive states in the South-South and the entire country.
In his remarks, CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, explained that the idea for the webinar was to equip journalists with vital knowledge that could help them professionally cover elections, especially the forthcoming ones in Edo and Ondo states.
Oluwafemi who was represented by CAPPA’s Senior Programme Manager Abayomi Sarumi, said, “We believe as an organization that the media plays a key role in the direction that elections take. This webinar is done under the European Union Sustainable Development For Democratic Governance in Nigeria.
“We’ve had a series of engagements with journalists across the country from representative states in the six geopolitical zones.”