Experts from media and civil society organisations have urged journalists to approach their coverage of the forthcoming Edo and Ondo State elections with caution, to avoid escalating tensions and conflicts.
This call was made during a webinar titled, “Conflict Sensitive Reporting and Election: Best Practices and Ethical Considerations,” organised by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), in collaboration with the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) programme.Notable speakers at the event included Achike Chude, Deputy Chairman of the Joint Action Front and National Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ); Joke Kujenya, Executive-in-Charge of Media Mentors Journalism Centre; and Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of CAPPA.
Chude, in his presentation, titled, “Ethical Considerations and Best Practices for Journalists During Elections Reporting,” highlighted the role of journalists in shaping electoral discourse. “Journalists hold a critical responsibility to ensure that the public is well informed about electoral matters,” Chude said.
He emphasized that elections directly impact the standard of living, security, and accountability of political office holders. Therefore, journalists must maintain focus and ethical standards during their reporting.
He further noted that, “Issues of elections are critical to the development of any country. As such, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, civil society groups, and the media must forge a healthy synergy, to ensure successful conduct and reportage of polls.”
However, Chude raised concerns about the conduct of some security agencies and the electoral body, which, according to him, sometimes collude with politicians to undermine the electoral process. “Journalists are often caught in the middle of electoral violence, but they must prioritize their safety and be knowledgeable about election laws,” he added.
On the other hand, Kujenya, in her presentation titled, “Conflict-Sensitive Reporting and Elections with Focus on Governorship and Presidential Elections,” outlined the core principles of Conflict Sensitive Reporting (CSR) as accuracy, balance, avoiding stereotypes, minimizing harm, and consistency.
