TWELVE participants including editors, senior reporters, and managers have recently completed a two-week election training aimed to prepare their respective newsrooms for the 2024 National General Election (NGE).
Participants were from Solomon Star, Island Sun, Isles Media, ZFM 100, Paoa FM, and SIBC.
The training was organized by the Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI) with support from the British High Commission in Solomon Islands and facilitated by BBC Media Action.
Sessions covered include the multifaceted roles of the media during elections, such as serving as educators, providing platforms for public forums, and watchdogs.
These roles were discussed in the context of the pre-election period, Election Day, and the post-election phase, including
result announcements and coalition negotiations.
BBC Media Action Project Director, Dipak Bhattarai, emphasized the importance of adopting an audience-centric approach to election reporting during the training sessions.
Additionally, special attention was given to underrepresented groups in the Solomon Islands, particularly those who may feel less inclined or informed to participate in the democratic process.
Discussions also highlighted the importance of engaging women more actively across all aspects of election coverage and implementing strategies to achieve this goal.
Editors also developed their editorial coverage plans tailored specifically for the elections during the training.
Furthermore, the training addressed the principles of conflict- sensitive reporting and provided guidelines for producing content that is sensitive to conflict dynamics. Journalists and editors were briefed on their crucial roles in ensuring adherence to these guidelines.
