Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation CHRR realizes the crucial role journalists play in disseminating information during the electoral process as well as in conducting voter education.
As the country prepares for the upcoming 2025 General Elections, journalists as the fourth estate need to be well knowledgeable of the electoral process and all other emerging issues regarding elections for them to be able to disseminate information from an informed point of view.
Through the Enhancing Participation of the General Public in the 2025 General Elections project, CHRR has trained journalists from Karonga and Chitipa districts in the northern region on how they can objectively cover elections and contribute to free and fair elections.
CHRR program officer responsible for the elections project Maxwell Mvula, has implored on the journalists to desist from fueling electoral conflicts through their media pieces, but instead promote peaceful co-existence through responsible reporting that will also encourage the masses to cast their votes en-masse.
The project, funded by UNDP to the tune of K100million seeks to contribute towards increased participation of the general public in the 2025 elections both as voters and as candidates and also the attainment of free, fair and credible elections with observance of human rights in all stages of the electoral process.
Some of the ethical considerations when reporting elections include being fair, objective, accurate, unbiased, non-partisan, avoiding propagation of hate speech and provision of accurate context.
District Civic Education Officer for NICE in Karonga Mabvuto Mkandawire also took time to drill the journalists on recent electoral reforms and election guidelines.
The CHRR elections project is covering 15 districts in all the three regions of the country.
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