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Bill
Watch special: Media coverage of election
Veritas
June 16, 2008
Obligations
of broadcast and print media during election period
Part IVA of the ZEC
Act and the ZEC Media Coverage of Elections Regulations [SI
33/2008] contain detailed provisions regulating the conduct of the
broadcast and print media in Zimbabwe during the run-up to the election
on 27th June [We have prepared a composite document containing all
these provisions; it is available on request].
They include
the following provisions; broadcasters and print publishers must
ensure that:-
- all political
parties and candidates are treated equitably in their news media,
in regard to the extent, timing and prominence of the coverage
accorded to them.
- reports on
the election in their news media are factually accurate, complete
and fair;
- a clear distinction
is made between factual reporting on the election and editorial
comment on it;
- political
parties and candidates are afforded a reasonable right of reply
to any allegations made that are claimed by the political parties
or candidates concerned to be false;
- they do not
promote political parties or candidates that encourage violence
or hatred against any class of persons in Zimbabwe;
Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation must:-
- ensure that
political parties or candidates are invited to present their election
manifestoes and policies without being interviewed;
- make time
available for election advertisements and distribute it equitably
between the political parties and candidates, applying the same
terms and conditions and rates to all parties and candidates;
- newspapers
are not obliged to accept election advertisements but if they
do so for one party or candidate, they must do so for others also,
offering the same terms and conditions;
- journalists
accredited to cover the election must not do anything whether
by way of action, speech, attitude or manner, that may compromise
their professional integrity.
Appeals
to ZEC against media decisions
Section
10 of the regulations permits political parties and candidates to
appeal to ZEC against decisions made by broadcasters and print publishers
in relation to election coverage [e.g., rejecting an election advertisement
or refusing a right to reply].
ZEC
monitoring and reporting on conduct of the media
Section
16G of the ZEC Act states that ZEC must monitor the Zimbabwean news
media during the election period to ensure that political parties,
candidates, broadcasters, print publishers and journalists observe
these media coverage provisions. A report on the coverage of the
election by the news media must be included in ZEC's post-election
report. [The post-election report must be submitted as soon as possible
after the result of the election is announced; it goes to the Speaker
of Parliament for prompt laying before Parliament, and also to President
and the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. Once
laid before Parliament the report will become accessible to the
public.]
Other
monitoring and reporting on conduct of the media
ZEC's
statutory monitoring function does not exclude monitoring and reporting
by other organisations [ZEC Act, section 16G(3)].
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