IPC To Present Findings On Election Coverage
Princess-Ekwi Ajide Abuja
The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos-Nigeria, says it is convening a stakeholders’ roundtable to present findings from its on-going media monitoring of election coverage.
The roundtable event which will hold in Abuja on Tuesday this wewk, will feature discussions on findings of the monitoring in October and November 2022 and the presentation of the revised Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage.
The programme which shall attract stakeholders from the media, civil society, academia, regulatory bodies, and other relevant organisations will be an opportunity for the media monitoring report to be assessed.
The media monitoring is one of the activities of an EU funded project titled, “strengthening the media for fair, accurate, ethical, and inclusive coverage of the electoral processes and elections in Nigeria” being implemented by IPC.
The Executive Director, IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade in a statement signed by the Communications Officer Component 4 (Support to Media) EUSDGN II Project, Olutoyin Ayoade said in addition to promoting democratic elections, the analysis of the media monitoring report of the 2023 elections is pivotal in determining the extent to which the elections can be said to be inclusive.
According to the Executive Director, this is why IPC will also present a performance scorecard by the monitored media based on their promotion of inclusive issues in their coverage and reportage of the electoral processes and elections particularly in line with the stipulations of the Media Code of Election Coverage.
The news platforms monitored include ten national dailies, five online media as well as the News Portal (website) and the twitter handles of Nigeria’s election management body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Prof Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika of the University of Lagos, shall serve as the reviewer of the reports, while Mr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, General Secretary, NGE and Dr. Chido Onumah, Coordinator of AFRICMIL, (Vice President, North Central, ACSPN), shall be the lead discussants.
The overall goal of the IPC led media component under EUSDGN II is to “Support the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria with the media (broadcast, print and online media) helping to facilitate the key ingredients of credible elections through engagement and professionalism in coverage and reportage of the electoral processes.
The Institute of Media Society (IMS) is the other partner of the project.