Election Platform: Our promise in coverage of 2015 General Election

Mr Machumu is the Executive Editor of MCL, overseeing print and digital editorial operations of the company.  bmachumu@tz.nationmedia.com  

By Bakari Machumu MCL Executive Editor

In Summary

“MWANANCHI COMMUNICATIONS LTD WILL NEITHER ENDORSE NOR SUPPORT ANY CANDIDATE OR POLITICAL PARTY, BUT IT WILL FACILITATE MEANINGFUL DEBATE ON POLICIES PROMULGATED BY THE VARIOUS POLITICAL PLAYERS”.     

In exactly 131 days from today, we will be heading to the polls to exercise our constitutional right – electing councilors, legislators and more importantly, our fifth president since we attained independence 54 years ago.

This will also be the fifth multiparty elections since our nation re-introduced multiparty democracy.

As Tanzanians, we are proud that we have had smooth change of guards so far.

It is from this background that we at Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL),- publishers of leading newspapers namely Mwananchi, The Citizen and MwanaSpoti, promise to play a patriotic role as a Media House to ensure yet another smooth transition from the fourth to the fifth occupier of the country’s top-most office after October 25th, 2015.

That’s why as of January this year, we established a special Election Desk to co-ordinate development of superior content for our products. It is our focal point in all matters to do with Election 2015.

As is the case for our coverage today, our guiding principle remains our Editorial Policy Guidelines and Objectives.

However, to ensure fair and balanced election coverage, MCL has developed specific Election Guidelines over and above the main document.

These guidelines aims at establishing Mwananchi, The Citizen and our online outlets as “reliable, credible, accurate, responsible, independent and IMPARTIAL news and information platforms anchored in the highest standards of professionalism”.

In particular, our news coverage and general management of political content shall seek to underscore our position as independent rather than opposition or government leaning media.

In covering political campaigns and the elections, our role will remain one of thought stimulation, explaining and informing the public, in order to help voters make informed decisions on the basis of sound knowledge with the overall objective of deepening democracy in our country.

To achieve this, our coverage will go beyond merely reporting what newsmakers, including politicians, say, to carrying analyses of the underlying issues.

Our opinion and editorial pages (op-ed) and other sections of the newspapers for political commentary, will remain open to all as a platform for debate, great care being taken to capture Tanzania’s rich diversity of political thought and opinion.

In all this, we will maintain the highest standards of accuracy, fairness, impartiality and balance in reporting. Equitable coverage of all leading political candidates and political parties, will be ensured through strict application of this comprehensive set of elections coverage guidelines.

This drive for objective, accurate and balanced coverage will not be achieved if some of our journalists, either through external or internal pressure, sneak in content that is loaded with political bias.

To guard against the possible breach of the editorial policy, therefore, it is important to state the following policy guidelines, which must be adhered to at all times:

“MWANANCHI COMMUNICATIONS LTD WILL NEITHER ENDORSE NOR SUPPORT ANY CANDIDATE OR POLITICAL PARTY, BUT IT WILL FACILITATE MEANINGFUL DEBATE ON POLICIES PROMULGATED BY THE VARIOUS POLITICAL PLAYERS”.

Management of content

Opinion and editorial content will be deliberately selected by the Executive Editor in conjunction with the Managing Editors to reflect the diversity of political opinion in our society. Equally, it will be carefully managed to ensure it projects the right balance and freshness while offering stimulating and enlightening commentaries.

Focusing on the election coverage, from today, we are transforming our regular Siasa and Political Platform pullouts – normally appearing inside Mwananchi and The Citizen, respectively, every Wednesday – into Uchaguzi 2015 and Election Platform respectively.

The Election Platform/ Uchaguzi Mkuu will comprise a special series of researched articles, analyses and opinion pieces.

The Platform will provide an opportunity for the invited contributors to explain their vision, perspective of issues and programmes or, simply, to respond to topical issues that are in the news.

Great care will be taken to ensure that no single political party has an edge over the others in terms of the number and the length of articles published. The Executive Editor will be the final arbiter in this regard.

We take this opportunity to welcome all presidential aspirants and political parties’ to send their opinions.

Articles submitted by presidential candidates will carry their bylines. In this way, the platforms will distinguish itself as a valuable forum for presidential candidates to speak directly to the voting public.

To maintain the desired balance, great care will be taken to avoid publishing more than one article (opinion) from the same political party or candidate on the same day.

Advertisements

Editorial gate-keeping will be extended to all political advertorials and advertisements. Specific instructions have been issued to staff to refer all such advertisements to the Executive Editor for vetting. All advertorials shall be boldly branded as “advertiser’s or sponsor’s announcement”.

In evaluating advertorials for publication, the editors will be guided by veracity of content, taste and fairness, truthfulness, potential to propagate hatred (hate speecj), risk of defamation and timing of the advertorials. No political advertisement will be published or aired on the day of the elections.

Election coverage guidelines

We will make special efforts to ensure accuracy and fairness while re-emphasising our policy on journalists’ professional conduct to ensure, for instance, that they do not accept payments, gifts or favours from political candidates, political parties or their agents. A policy of zero-tolerance will be maintained and any proven infringements will result in instant dismissal.

Furthermore, these guidelines bars MCL journalists and editors from political activism while taking care to ensure the journalists do not let others dictate and, or, influence their coverage or treatment of stories.

We intend to be truly representative in our coverage, placing emphasis on issues rather than personalities.

Maintaining peace and tranquility will thus be our utmost goal.

Mr Machumu is the Executive Editor of MCL, overseeing print and digital editorial operations of the company.