The Youth and Society (YAS) has cautioned journalists in the country to refrain from sensational and biased reporting in the run-up to the 2025 General Elections.
The organization’s Executive Director, Charles Kajoloweka, made the call on Tuesday in Lilongwe during a one-day media orientation session aimed at enhancing the capacity of community journalists to report and cover election-related topics effectively and responsibly.
Kajoloweka highlighted that journalists are a powerful tool as far as the dissemination of information to the masses is concerned, hence calling on them to remain professional and discharge their duties with all the utmost care they deserve.
“We know that the media plays a crucial role in reaching out to the masses in the form of different messages— community programming and various sensitization initiatives. However, for the media to do so, they must have the right information and the right attitude on covering topical issues, including elections,” said Kajoloweka.
He further expressed fear that if the media is not well informed, it can contribute to misinformation and disinformation which is a threat to credible elections.
In a related development, YAS has also appealed to journalists to take deliberate steps in championing the involvement of the disabled, the youth and women, including other marginalized groups of people in society, to give them a platform to actively participate in the election process.
According to Kajoloweka, YAS is already coordinating youth-related interventions in elections aimed at increasing the participation of young people and traditionally marginalized groups in society in elections and politics in general.
He said: “At the moment, through the ‘democracy in young hands’ and the ‘youth in elections’ programmes, we are equipping the youth with various expertise for them to take part in the 2025 General Elections by contesting on various political positions.”
One of the participants in the training, Ellen Botha, a journalist from the Rumphi community radio station, applauded YAS for the training, saying it has unearthed various skills which will enable her to report professionally and effectively in the forthcoming General Elections.
YAS conducted the training with financial support from the Germany-based Zivik Foundation.
