By Saio Marrah
The Chairman of Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG), Francis Sowa (PHD) has urged journalists to promote peace, democracy and good governance during and after elections.
Dr. Sowa made this call during a training of journalists on the revised Independent Media Commission (IMC) code of practice, regulations and elections coverage held at the New Brookfield’s Hotel in Freetown on Friday 23rd June, 2023.
By promoting peace, he said the general guidelines for elections media coverage and reporting contained in the new IMC code include desisting from promoting or inciting racial, ethnic or regional hatred or bias reporting.
Dr. Sowa also warned journalists to deviate from promoting or causing public disorder, or reporting that become a threat to the security of society.
According to him, the new code or regulations, which he said formed part of the laws of Sierra Leone, frowns at reporting that ridicule, stigmatize or demonize persons on the basis of gender, race, class, language, sexual orientation and physical or mental ability.
Another key issue Dr. Sowa called on journalists to uphold, which he said are contained in the new IMC regulation to provide fair, adequate and equitable media coverage and reporting of the activities of political parties.
He also noted that the regulation also contains a truthful, comprehensive, accurate, balanced and fair account of events in a context that gives them meaning.
He also called on media institutions not to censor or edit materials submitted by political parties or their agents and that proper editorial judgment should be exercised in favour of good taste and respect for public safety, security and morality.
He said publications or broadcasts should be refused if materials are hateful, ethnically offensive and likely to provoke public disorder or threaten the security of the state. Dr. Sowa said when such material is refused, the concerned political party or its agent should be given an opportunity to modify the material in order to conform to acceptable standards.
According to him, media practitioners should label as “provisional result” for results released from the polling stations immediately after vote counting.
On election media coverage and reporting, Dr. Sowa pointed out that the regulations require professional coverage and reporting of all political activities.
Another facilitator of the programme, Josuah Nicol, who is a senior lecturer at the Media School at Fourah College, University of Sierra Leone, called on journalists to apply delay devise in their studios for phone calls or live programmes to avoid comments that are distasteful or inciting for radios and television stations.
He also called on media practitioners to be able to differentiate the two roles played by the incumbent when he is playing a role as candidate in the election and as president of the country.
On Election Day, he said journalists should encourage people to cast their votes and that they should not be bothered about who they vote for.
Among other things, Nicol called on media practitioners to desist from announcing election results not confirmed by the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone.
The programme was organized by Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) and the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) with support from the European Union.
Copyright (c) 2023 Politico (23/06/23)
