Panellists urge ethical reporting ahead of November elections

Journalists, lecturers and researchers gathered to discuss the inconsistencies and loopholes in the reporting of Namibian national elections, focusing on both the media's role and the Electoral Commission of Namibia's (ECN) efforts to address and resolve these issues.The public dialogue, hosted by Fesmedia Africa last week in Windhoek, provided a platform for open discussions on the importance of truthful reporting to promote democratic elections.Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) lecturer Phillip Santos, one of the panellists at the public dialogue on 'The Role of the Media in Promoting Democratic Elections in Namibia', emphasised the importance of complete reporting. He pointed out that tailoring or omitting of certain elements from an article constitutes "lying by omission"."Key information should not be missed when reporting on political parties, as this allows voters to make well-informed decisions."During the talk, some journalists admitted to using ‘clickbait’ to entice readers into buying newspapers, a practice that Santos strongly condemned. "The civic role is more important than the business role."Support junior journalists The panel also urged media outlets to invest in extensive mentorship, financial training and capacity-building to fully equip newly hired or intern journalists ahead of the 2024 presidential elections in November. Supporting this, senior journalist at The Namibian, Shelleygan Petersen emphasised that understanding context is crucial for effective reporting, particularly highlighting the upcoming elections' importance. "There are many nuances that need to be identified before and after elections. A lot happens at once, and if you don't have basic knowledge, you might miss important aspects."She also noted that the newsroom dynamic has shifted, with more junior journalists than senior ones. This, she said, could lead to a decline in journalistic standards if there isn't a collective effort to train and mentor the junior reporters. The quality of journalism also depends on the well-being of journalists, she noted.Similarly, Petersen urged election bodies, which hold essential information and statistics needed by journalists to inform the public, to respond more swiftly to queries. She specifically highlighted ECN for its slow response times and called for a more efficient approach to providing crucial election information.

Panellists urge ethical reporting ahead of November elections

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-21

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Panellists urge ethical reporting ahead of November elections

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-21

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