The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has asked journalists in the country to refrain from taking sides when reporting news about elections.
This was said at the closing day of a three day workshop which Malawi Institute of Southern Africa (Misa-Malawi) organised in partnership with US Embassy in collaboration with MEC.
Speaking with reporters, Commissioner Bishop Mary Nkosi said the media play a crucial role in informing and educating the public as such they must refrain from taking sides to be on the safe side.
Nkosi added that candidates should be given equal opportunities as media ethics emphasizes that any media practitioner has to be fair when reporting news.
“Journalists should always remember and follow media ethics and they should not forget the dos and don’ts,” she explained.
Nkosi made it clear that to make this effective, the commission will continue engaging with the media through conducting of several trainings and refresher courses to equip them with journalism practise that all the stakeholders should expect from the media.
According to her, there is also need to collectively guide and monitor the performance of the media in order to contribute to the success of the 2019 Tripartite Elections.
After the workshop, the journalists were awarded with certificates confirming that they attended the 3 day workshop which started on 17 October and ended on 19 October.
