By Rugendo Antony
As we approach the August elections, preparations are in top gear and the media is at the centre of the process with its role as a public watchdog and responsibility to inform and educate.
In a bid to skill journalists ahead of the elections, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission(IEBC), United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) and Kenya Media Sector Working Group who include Kenya Correspondents Association(KCA), Kenya Editors guild and Media Council of Kenya among others on Sunday June 12, 2022 commenced a three-days’ workshop to train journalists on election.
The training which aimed at enhancing journalists’ skills on elections reporting ahead of August elections took place at Alba Hotel, Makutano in Meru County, and brought together journalists from the Upper Eastern region.
The training comes immediately after the clearance of aspirants by the IEBC.
Speaking Mwingi North Returning Officer Martin Malonza Mule said the training will skill journalists with basic election reporting, ethics in election coverage, fact checking among other areas of support.
Mr. Mule added that the training targeted grounding journalists on technology and elections and how to report on instances when technology has been used or misused in the case of elections and also equipping them on electoral process and legal framework.
The IEBC Returning officer called on journalists to observe ethics and rules of election reporting.
He further asked journalists to lead in de-escalating tension that comes with the elections.
Erick Shimoli, a former Nation Media Editor called on media houses to ensure they set an election reporting desk that is separate from the News desk ahead of the polls to smoothen the election coverage.
Mr Shimoli further asked journalists to ensure there is a budget set aside for election coverage to facilitate important things such as transport and emergencies among others.
Taifa Leo Managing Editor Peter Ngare asked journalists to observe principles of election reporting such as accuracy and fairness-equitable coverage rather than equal coverage.
Mr Ngare cautioned journalists against fueling conflicts and tensions which heighten during elections but instead cover elections without bias as a way of maintaining peace and avoiding conflicts.
He also asked journalists to avoid direct or indirect association with political parties or candidates and also cover results and trends delicately.
