Edo, Ondo guber elections: Tread cautiously on conflict-sensitive reporting, experts urge journalists

By Seyi Odewale

To prevent worsening and exacerbating the tensions already being generated by the forthcoming Edo and Ondo states governorship election, media experts and civil society campaigners have tasked journalists to be circumspect in their coverage and reportage.

They spoke on Wednesday at a Webinar organised by the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) in collaboration with the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Programme, titled: Conflict Sensitive Reporting and Election: Best Practices and Ethical Considerations.

Participants who spoke included the Deputy Chairman of the Joint Action Front and National Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Achike Chude; the Executive-in-Charge of Media Mentors Journalism Centre, Joke Kujenya; and CAPPA’s Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi.

Chude, while making his presentation titled: “Ethical Considerations and Best Practices for Journalists During Elections Reporting”, noted that journalists were responsible for reporting electoral matters to properly inform the electorate, adding that elections determine the standard of living, security of life, and property, the responsibility and accountability of political office holders.

To him, journalists must be focused while reporting elections, whether at the national or sub-national levels. “Issues of elections are critical to the development of any country. As such, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, civil society groups, and the media must forge a healthy synergy to ensure successful conduct and reportage of polls,” he said.

He added: “Unfortunately, in Nigeria, some security agencies and the electoral body sometimes collude with unscrupulous politicians to undermine the electoral process. To that extent, journalists are usually caught up in the middle of electoral violence, but they (reporters) must ensure their safety first and be very knowledgeable about the laws that govern elections at any point in time.”

He also stressed that to report elections effectively, journalists must fully understand the mindset of political gladiators, their political affiliations, and have a knowledge of security guidelines regarding timing, as well as the movement of people and sensitive electoral materials to successfully navigate the terrain.

In her presentation on Conflict-Sensitive Reporting and Elections with a Focus on Governorship and Presidential Elections, Ms. Kujenya identified the core principles of Conflict-Sensitive Reporting (CSR) as accuracy, balance, avoiding stereotypes, minimizing harm, and remaining consistent. 

She maintained that conflict-sensitive reporting involves careful coverage of events, particularly elections, to prevent exacerbating tensions and conflicts, as well as ensure that journalism upholds ethical standards while contributing to peace and stability.

She charged reporters to be objective in their reports of the polls, as Edo remains one of the sensitive states in the South-South and the entire country.

Highlighting the importance of Conflict-Sensitive Reporting, she insisted that it reduces the risk of violence and escalation of conflicts; ensures balanced and fair coverage of all parties involved; helps in promoting peaceful discourse; protects journalists from becoming the targets, and builds public trust in the media and the practitioner as a core professional.

Referencing data, Kujenya observed that about 80 per cent of news items focused on non-programmatic issues such as election logistics, campaigns, and political intrigues, stressing that journalists could have mitigated tensions by focusing on issues-based reporting, rather than amplifying inflammatory statements or perspectives. “By highlighting policy debates, peaceful initiatives, and solutions, journalists could avoid sensationalism capable of provoking violence,” she added.

Oluwafemi, who was represented by CAPPA’s Senior Programme Manager Abayomi Sarumi, explained that the webinar idea was to equip journalists with vital knowledge that could help them to professionally cover elections, especially the forthcoming Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

He said: “We believe as an organisation that the media plays a key role in the direction that elections take. This webinar is done under the European Union Sustainable Development For Democratic Governance in Nigeria.

“We’ve had a series of engagements with journalists across the country from representative states in the six geopolitical zones. 

“We’ve also had webinars covering different issues including the security of journalists, conflict sensitivity, and how to ensure that the democratic process becomes robust and expansive enough to allow for a sustainable transition across states and also at the national level.”

“But for this conversation, we’re specifically looking at the ethics and other considerations that we should have as journalists to help the people of Edo state to make informed choices, and to ensure that the way we report elections does not trigger conflict,” he added.