The Media Council of Malawi, through its ‘Strengthening Media Self-Regulation in Malawi’ project, conducted a training for journalists in the northern region on election reporting.
The training aimed to provide journalists with the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure fair, accurate, and balanced coverage of elections. Additionally, the session included the exchange of best practices in election reporting.
During the training, Executive Director of the Media Council of Malawi Moses Kaufa, guided participants through the general election process in Malawi to help them better understand the topics covered in the session. These topics included Elections Reporting, which focused on enhancing participants’ understanding of media ethics and professional conduct in election coverage; Media Literacy and Fact-Checking, which addressed the fact-checking process and strategies for combating misinformation and disinformation; and plenary discussions that explored solutions and recommendations for improving writing and reporting skills.
Kaufa encouraged journalists to familiarize themselves with the Constitution, the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act and the Malawi Electoral Commission Act. He emphasized that as Malawi prepares for elections, media professionals should consistently verify that all necessary election procedures are in place, ensuring everything is conducted in accordance with the law. He also urged journalists to always report whenever they observe anything suspicious in the electoral process.
The MCM Executive Director emphasized the importance of journalists maintaining professionalism, refraining from making statements that could incite violence, and avoiding situations that could compromise their work.
Media trainer and Investigative Journalist Suzgo Chitete urged participants to amplify the information provided by politicians to communities while also being cautious in identifying and correcting lies and misinformation through proper fact-checking and verification.
Chitete reminded the media practitioners that with the upcoming elections in September this year, there will be instances where journalists may be influenced by politicians, highlighting the importance of adhering to ethical standards and maintaining professionalism. The facilitator also encouraged journalists to advocate for free and fair elections.
The Strengthening Media Self-Regulation in Malawi project is supported by funding from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
