(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is a 10 December ARTICLE 19 press release on the occasion of its publishing of a new election broadcast monitoring guide: To mark the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the first elections being held under Nigeria’s transition programme, ARTICLE 19 is publishing a manual on […]
(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is a 10 December ARTICLE 19 press release
on the occasion of its publishing of a new election broadcast monitoring
guide:
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and the first elections being held under Nigeria’s transition programme,
ARTICLE 19 is publishing a manual on media monitoring. The publication sets
out standards which should be adhered to and provides a hands-on tool for
those planning practical projects to survey broadcasting balance during
elections.
Frances D’Souza, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19, said:
“Although governments should allow the media to operate independently at all
times, it is more crucial than ever during election periods. In practice,
government control over the media is strong in many parts of the world, and
during election campaigns the temptation to interfere becomes even stronger.
“Election Reporting: a practical guide to media monitoring can be used not
only for training monitors and to educate people about their basic rights,
but also to gather impartial and empirical evidence of governments straying
from their duty to guarantee editorial independence. Such evidence, when
publicised, led to a marked increase in broadcasting balance during
elections in Kenya and Malawi.”
The new Guide is illustrated with cartoons by John Byrne and covers not only
the practical aspects of media monitoring but also topics such as Rights and
the Electoral Process; the Media and Communications; and Civic Education. It
was developed in collaboration with partner organisations monitoring
elections in Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Morocco. It will next be used in
Nigeria during elections being held under the transition programme, then in
Zimbabwe, Malawi, Turkey and Belarus.
The monitoring guide is the latest in the compendium of standard-setting
publications from ARTICLE 19, including the Freedom of Expression Handbook,
Guidelines for Election Broadcasting in Transitional Democracies and the
Johannesburg Principles on Access to Information, Freedom of Expression and
National Security.
