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Election journalists and editors get a bigger picture of elections...!



A cross-section of journalists from Eastern Zone which include Iringa, Dodoma, Coast and Morogoro regions attending a training workshop on election reporting organized jointly by the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) through its Media Action program. (Photo: FRIDAY SIMBAYA)


By Friday Simbaya, Morogoro

JOURNALISTS have been urged to play a watchdog (overseer) role during the forthcoming general elections in October this year, the Guardian has observed.

The called was sounded yesterday by Kaanaeli Kaale and Hassan Mhelela who were the facilitators in the five-day training workshop on election reporting for Eastern Zone journalists from four regions of Iringa, Coast, Dodoma and the host Morogoro.

They said the role of the media during elections is busy times, which is exponential include a very active watchdog role; to investigate irregularities and expose foul play, corruption and election rigging.

They collectively said that the media is also required to provide a platform on political parties to explain their policies and manifestoes; to monitor the electoral process i.e. voter’s registration, appointment of candidates, demarcation of constituencies, placing of polling stations, appointment of returning officers and the availability of ballots.

Other requirements the media need to do is to provide information on where to vote, when and how; and to provide civic education to the public so that they can participate in the election process and make informed choices during elections.

The training workshop on election reporting program was jointly organized by the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) through its Media Action program.

BBC Media Action in Tanzania is helping strengthen the media through journalism training and radio programs that foster debate and participation.

“It is very important for election journalists and editors to get a bigger picture of elections- i.e., the socio-economic, political and cultural consequences of an uninformed or corrupted choice,” they echoed together.

They said also that such roles required more than general reporting skills but the training on how to report elections is crucial to the quality of reportage going by experience.

In a democracy, elections represent an expression of political pluralism. This is where the media comes in; to collect, analyze, interpret and disseminate information audiences through different outlets.

It is also to give the electorate with relevant information on contestants, so that they can make informed choices, this is contained in the Reporting Elections in Tanzania, a manual for journalists (second edition) prepared by MCT.

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