Journalists urged to report responsibly and factually on elections
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and The Editors Guild to train journalists on responsible and factual reporting on elections.
The programme targets 400 journalists in eight towns and aims to ensure responsible coverage to promote peace during the elections.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Kenya Mandisa Mashologu says media is a key influencer in an electoral process and they have an important role of giving factual information to the public.
“We are committed to supporting them to achieve this,” said Mashologu during a training forum in Eldoret yesterday.
IEBC director for Voter Education and Partnership Rasi Masudi lauded Kenya’s media outreach efforts in preventing and responding to fake news and misinformation.
Political discourse
“The media is an integral partner that has helped interrupt misinformation and fake news as the August 9 polls approach. We don’t take the media for granted,” said Masudi.
He said that there was need for all stakeholders to quell misinformation on social media, saying they can pose a serious danger to peace if not handled timely.
“The media is the cornerstone of democracy. It plays an important role in influencing political discourse during the election. It is like a double-edged sword which needs to be handled carefully,” added the official.
Mashologu said hate speech incites violence and undermines social cohesion and tolerance.
She said the scale and impact of hate speech had been amplified by new technologies of communications to the point that online blogging had become the most frequent method for spreading divisive rhetoric and ideologies aimed at threatening peace.
Mashologu said that UNDP had also partnered with the State Department of Devolution in supporting the country’s transition to the new administration.