Election coverage

What

A selection of resources and guidelines for journalists and newsroom staff covering local, national and international elections.

An essential part of public media’s democratic role is to provide timely, verified and unbiased information during election periods that empowers citizens to make informed decisions.

Ensuring that political parties are allocated fair and equal air-time during election campaigns and that journalists adhere to appropriate social media usage, are just some of the protocols that public broadcasters must follow in order to fulfil their election coverage mandates.

Here we recommend key resources and guidelines produced by an array of media advocacy, media development and public media organisations that share tips and advice for journalists reporting on elections. We have also collated some ‘best practices’ from public media on how they have covered elections in creative and innovative ways.

Use the tabs below to navigate appropriate resources. The list will be updated regularly but if you think we have missed anything, let us know by emailing editor@publicmediaalliance.org.

Public media guidelines and policies

Public media organisations typically outline their broader standards on election coverage in their editorial policies and guidelines. But as circumstances and contexts change during each new election, many public broadcasters aim to revise their guidelines on election coverage to ensure that guidance and training offered for staff is relevant and up-to-date.

The following guidelines are up-to-date at the time of writing (17 July 2020).

Election Guidelines 2019

The BBC’s 2019 guidelines for local government elections in parts of England and Northern Ireland.

Production Guidelines for Free Time Election Broadcasts – 2016 edition

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) production guidelines apply to all federal, state and national elections and include guidance on graphics, length and transmission of broadcasts and technical requirements. The Election Coverage Review Committee (ECRC)’s reports dating back to the 2007 Federal Election can be found here.

Radio New Zealand Editorial Policy

RNZ’s Editorial Policy has a dedicated section on election coverage (Pg. 25-26)

RTV Slovenija Professional Standards

Professional standards of RTV Slovenia (Sections 3 and 4 are most relevant)

SBS Editorial Guidelines (Australia)

Section 5.5.2.2. ‘Election advertising during election periods’ (Pg. 12)

Public media best practices

This section includes a list of Public Media Alliance coverage and reports from public broadcasters highlighting their best practices in covering elections, such as the innovative use of visual and data journalism as well as covering an election during a pandemic.

ABC the nation’s leading destination for federal election coverage (ABC – Press Release)

BBC News coverage of the 2019 General Election (BBC – Blog)

Here are the tools you need to make an informed vote on election day (CBC News)

KBS’ Election 2020 Results Coverage: Captivating Audiences with State-of-the Art Technology (KBS)

Best of PSM | Visual Journalism – Coverage of the 2018 Afghan elections (Public Media Alliance)

Guyana: Covering an election during a pandemic (Public Media Alliance)

Election coverage in Sweden: Democracy, multimedia and populist rhetoric (Public Media Alliance)

The BBC and the UK Election (Public Media Alliance)

Regulatory Authorities

While some of the following guidelines may be country or region-specific, they are publicly available and have been included to encourage broadcasters and regulators to share best practices and guidelines worldwide.

The following guidelines are not necessarily endorsed by PMA but are listed for comparative purposes.

Draft Broadcasting Election Code of Conduct (Botswana)

Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority

This 2019 Code of Conduct for elections coverage was developed for radio and television broadcasting stations, including online radio and Internet Protocol Television services, in Botswana. It provides general rules that broadcasters can use. It has the aim of ensuring that broadcasting services provide accurate, fair, and balanced political coverage during the electoral process. It offers guidelines on balance and impartiality; professional conduct; handling phone-ins, online media references, political advertising, opinion polls; and the complaints procedure and enforcement.

Guidelines for TV and radio broadcasters and TV service providers during an election (Canada)

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

“The following guidelines are intended to assist television and radio broadcasters, as well as TV service providers, during an election period.

Station managers should share these guidelines with news, program, sales and traffic departments as well as with any other affected personnel when an election is called.”

[Text sourced from CRTC]

Guidelines for Election Coverage (Kenya)

Media Council of Kenya

This resource reflects existing codes of conduct and requirements of the new constitution of Kenya. The guidelines cover a range of issues related to the electoral process, including adherence to journalistic principles, gender balance and diversity of voices, equitable coverage, and conflict-sensitive journalism.

The Ofcom Broadcasting Code – Section Six: Elections and referendums (UK based)

Ofcom

Section Six of the UK’s broadcasting and communications regulator’s Broadcasting Code covers “the special impartiality requirements and other legislation that must be applied at the time of elections and referendums.”

Non-profit organisations

ACE Electoral Knowledge Network – Media and Elections

ACE Electoral Knowledge Network

From hate speech and media law to regulation, political advertisements and guidelines on poll reporting, ACE has a wide range of resources and materials on the coverage of elections spanning across many countries around the world.

Coaching Manual for Media Support during Elections

International Media Support, Media & Democracy Group, and Réseau Liberté

This 2006 manual from International Media Support, Media&Democracy Group and Réseau Liberté was specifically designed for persons who assist in skills development for journalists in countries marked by conflict or those transitioning to democracy. However, coaches can use this manual in a wide range of elections and referenda.

Elections and media in digital times

UNESCO

Even though this is not a guideline on election reporting, this 2019 report – published in light of the theme for the 2019 World Press Freedom Day, “Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation” – provides an overview of some of the key issues and trends facing journalists and media practitioners when reporting on elections in the digital age. This includes disinformation as well as threats and attacks on journalists.

UNESCO also outlines additional challenges such as media capture, internet access and regulatory and policy frameworks. The report concludes that more effective strategies must be implemented to ensure that the media can play its democratic role, with suggestions that include ensuring a “legal environment for media freedom and independence in terms of coverage of elections” and to “encourage Internet companies to develop self-regulatory systems aligned to international standards, through multi-stakeholder engagement, so as to deal with problems of misuse and manipulation during elections.”

Guidelines On Access To Information And Elections In Africa

African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

These guidelines have been designed to offer specific instructions and considerations for stakeholders in the electoral process. This includes traditional and online media providers, media regulatory bodies, election management bodies, political parties and candidates, and civil society organisations.

Guidelines on Media Coverage of Elections in the SADC region

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF)

This resource, produced by the The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF), provides advice on how journalists can navigate aspects of election coverage such as the roles and conditions for the effective functioning of media, ethical considerations, and media public accountability. These guidelines were created by and for media professionals within the 15 countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

Handbook for journalists during elections

Reporters Without Borders

RSF has compiled a useful handbook for journalists reporting on elections. The handbook not only covers the inherent ethical codes and universal protections of journalism but also provides advice on the specific legal and practical aspects of elections and how to cover same. The handbook can serve as a tool for journalists working in print, online, radio, and television and those from state, privately-owned, local, national, or international media. Overall, the handbook aims to improve the professional training of journalists.

IPSO guidance for journalists: using material from social media

Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)

Social media is generally a valuable source of information but especially during elections it provides a platform for receiving updates from officials and hearing what the public has to say. Furthermore, as the world grapples with the physical inaccessibility caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, journalists will have to turn more to social media to access content. In this Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) guidance, journalists will receive a framework on how they can best approach material taken from social media. This guidance also provides relevant real-life examples, which were under consideration by IPSO’s Complaints Committee.

Responsible Media Coverage of Elections

Search for Common Ground (SFCG)

Produced by the non-profit Search for Common Ground (SFCG) under their Radio for Peacebuilding Africa programme, this training guide could be particularly useful for journalists in the Global South. This guide was designed for journalists covering elections in Africa, particularly in high-tension situations or post-conflict reconstruction. However, it provides practical insight from journalists who have responsibly covered elections and highlights journalistic principles necessary for elections coverage. Therefore, this guide can act as a resource for journalists in other parts of the world, especially those from countries where high-conflict elections are common.

The Electoral College: How It Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections (US based)

Congressional Research Service (CSR)

The Electoral College is an important component of the United States’ electoral process and understanding how it works can add depth and perspective to election coverage. This report from the Congressional Research Service (CSR) provides an in-depth look at the Electoral College, including its constitutional origins, most recent developments, and how votes are allocated.

Journalist Safety

Journalists face growing threats in their work, both in their digital and physical safety. Journalists may face increased digital and physical attacks during elections and, particularly in less democratic countries, extra precaution in keeping themselves and their work safe is advisable. While some of the following resources may not be specific to the electoral process, they may nonetheless equip journalists with the tools they need to safeguard their digital security and stay physically safe while covering elections.

20 tools and apps for digital journalists

Journalism.co.uk

Digital journalists may see their workload increase during an election period and this list of tools and apps, compiled by Journalism.co.uk, can be useful in connecting media workers with ways to improve their storytelling and productivity.

Digital Security

Global Investigative Journalism Network

GIJN provides tips and an extensive list of additional resources that enable journalists to improve their digital security.

Safety and Security Course

Google News Initiative

This five-lesson course is offered by the Google News Initiative and teaches news organisations and their staff how to protect themselves from digital attacks, hacking, and censorship. The lessons can be completed within 44 minutes.

US elections 2020: Journalist safety kit

Committee to Protect Journalists

CPJ has put together a safety kit ahead of the 2020 US elections in November. This kit covers both physical and digital safety and even has checklists for newsrooms.

Why marginalized populations must be included in discussions about election and journalist safety

IREX

This IREX article discusses the specific threats faced by media workers from minority populations when covering elections and highlights some approaches taken to address these safety concerns. The article also discusses what more could be done for media workers of minority populations, particularly during the electoral process.

This list of recommended guidelines and resources for election reporting has been compiled by the Public Media Alliance team. We aim to frequently update this page.

More resources relating to election coverage can also be found in our Data Journalism and Fact-checking & Investigative Journalism tools pages.

Header Image: Voting for election in front of black blackboard. Credit: selimaksan/iStock

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