Media role in electoral processes
Ryder Gabathuse | Monday February 5, 2024 06:00
Thomas Nkhoma, is the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Botswana chapter chairperson and a media scholar. As the country has started its journey to the 2024 General Election, he asserts that the ideal role of the media in electoral processes is to serve as a reliable and impartial source of information, facilitating an informed and engaged electorate.
Thus, he says, the media should provide accurate and unbiased information about candidates, policies, and the electoral processes.
“Further, the media should educate the public on key issues to enable informed decision-making. Most importantly, acting as a watchdog is paramount for the media to monitor and expose any irregularities or misconduct during the electoral process,” Nkhoma responded to Mmegi enquiries this week. He added: “Candidates and institutions must also be held accountable for their actions and promises. Other issues that the media should consider include facilitating public discourse, promoting civic participation, and making sure that there is fact-checking and verification of information to counter misinformation and disinformation”.
Having been a media practitioner and covered the general polls before, Nkhoma concurs that the media’s influence on public opinion during elections has had a significant impact on society. He says this because, “the media serves as platforms for political discourse during elections cycle”.
To him, the media serves as a bridge between political candidates and the public. Journalists, through their reporting, he says, serve as key intermediaries between political candidates and the public, shaping perceptions, disseminating information, and influencing the discourse surrounding elections.
He also observes that with the rise of social media, individuals can share and consume information rapidly. Such platforms have the power to amplify the impact of media messages and contribute to the formation of public opinion.
“There are also issues of agenda setting whereby the media sets the agenda by deciding which issues to highlight and discuss. Apart from agenda setting, there is an element of framing certain topics prominently; the media can influence what issues are prioritised in public discourse. To illustrate these last two points, you will recall a screaming headline, “VOTE MOUPO” ran by Mmegi newspaper,” he highlighted.
As a cardinal rule, Nkhoma underlined that objective reporting during the entire electoral cycle is critical in promoting healthy democratic processes besides fostering a well-informed society. The main objective should be to create a platform for informed decision-making, promoting fair campaigning, fair and balanced coverage. It is very important that there should be post-election analysis to help the public understand the implications of results, including potential policy changes and the overall impact on the country.
Critically, Nkhoma buttressed that objective post-election coverage reporting should aim to promote national unity by presenting information in a fair and impartial manner. This helps mitigate post-election tensions and fosters a sense of cohesion and trust within the society.
“It reinforces the notion that the media serves as a watchdog besides ensuring that the public is well-informed and holding those in power accountable,” says the media scholar.
Nkhoma’s advice to media houses on their critical role on voter education before, during and after elections is: “It is important to note that the media plays a critical role in voter education during the entire electoral cycle. Thus, ideally the media serves as a source of credible information in that it should clearly explain the electoral process, provide live coverage and updates on election day, whereas throughout the entire electoral process there is need to encourage voter participation through announcements, interviews with election officials, and features on the importance of voting”.
He further advised the media to actively engage in fact checking to counter misinformation and provide accurate information to the public. Vigilance against sensationalism and verification of sources before reporting are also key.
His greatest concern though is on information disorders – misinformation, disinformation and mal-information. He has noted that there is potential to share fake news unwittingly without any intention to cause harm (misinformation) or spread false information with the intention to inflict harm on individuals and institutions (disinformation). As for mal-information (deliberate dissemination of harmful or damaging information to cause harm), he agrees it is very critical for journalists to guard against such.
In an election setting, Nkhoma feels this may involve the malicious spreading of rumours, personal attacks or the circulation of inflammatory content. Such tactics can escalate tensions, creating a challenging environment for free and fair elections. Eventually, this can contribute to social discord and political polarisation.
Meawhile, in his response to Mmegi enquiries this week, Dr William Lesitaokana, a senior lecturer and former head of department of Media Studies at the University of Botswana where he also teaches undergraduate courses in digital media, media production, and media technology, he was adamant that the media should support ideal democracy mainly because it serves as the potential facilitator of participatory public sphere. He added that media content, including documentaries, news and current affairs, provides the public with knowledge necessary to participate in public debates, subsequently influencing decision making processes during elections.
Being familiar with Botswana’s electoral processes, Lesitaokana observes that the media had a significant impact on society in previous elections. “During the 2019 polls, the media determined political agenda, influenced issues of public interest, and in some instances, members of the public were coerced to follow such agendas,” he said in his response to Mmegi enquiries. His advice to media practitioners is to stick to objective reporting, which he said is necessary for an ideal democracy.
“Journalists should speak with all candidates equally, and not show any biasness, and that’s regardless of political affiliation, religion, background, ethnicity, or gender. Expectations are that during 2024 General Election, whereas journalists must present facts about politicians and the political parties, the electorate should be left to decide on their own when casting votes,” he advised.
He added: “Journalists should ensure they report accurate, balanced, and verified facts, resist the pressures of forming own opinions, and avoid misleading the public”.
Adding his voice to the on-going debate of the role of media in electoral processes, University of Botswana (UB) lecturer in politics and administrative studies, Adam Mfundisi, speaking from a public policy lens, concurs it is undisputable that the media plays a significant and influential role in shaping public opinions and behaviours on political issues and events.
His position is that the political impact of the media on the electoral process is insurmountable highlighting that in a democratic landscape, behaviours, attitudes, political beliefs and political choices of the voters directly and indirectly determine the elections outcome.
Therefore, Mfundisi is adamant that the media plays a significant role in forming public opinions, behaviours and influences the electoral outcomes.
He pointed out: “The electorate depend on the media for accessing information about political parties, government, candidates, and the electoral management body. The media persuades and mobilises voters throughout the electoral cycle, that is pre-election period, voting, and post-election period. Moreover, the media has the capacity to shape political behaviours and the election outcome.”
He holds a strong view that the media plays a watchdog role as a campaign platform, an open forum for debate and public education.
The media ensures ethics and accountability on the government, the IEC, political parties, and candidates. “It (media) further enhances public participation in elections including educating voters, reporting on election campaigns, and scrutinising the electoral processes. In addition, the media should evaluate the fairness, freeness, probity, efficiency, effectiveness, integrity, and the legitimacy of the electoral process,” the UB academic shared.
He considers the media a major agenda setter therefore, influencing and shaping public opinion on the electoral process. It determines, to a larger degree, the public policy agenda.
He challenged the media in its coverage to provide equitable coverage of all political parties and candidates. The media links voters to political parties and candidates. Furthermore, it is Mfundisi’s comment that the media provides a platform for political parties and candidates to debate with each other and for voters to make informed choices.
In response to Mmegi enquiries, Mfundisi agrees that the media’s objective reporting is essentially critical for democratic consolidation.
“Political competition is enhanced by a free and impartial media. Elections are an avenue to test the objectivity, accuracy and impartiality of the media in Botswana. The media is not supposed to be biased towards any political party or candidates as its role is to educate, inform and conscientise voters on the electoral process. It is expected to present an unbiased and objective platform for open political discourse,” he was adamant.
He holds a strong view that political content from the media influences political behaviours in the electoral process. He has fears that there are growing perceptions and allegations of media capture by the powerful forces in Botswana including the ruling party and government.
He cited the 2019 general election incidents where he said they witnessed media bias in terms of framing, slanting, spinning of information labelling to support the ruling party and its candidates. He emphasised that fake news dominated the election landscape. Social media has become an alternative source of information from the mainstream media.
“The media amidst the failure of the IEC to promote civic and voter education must take the baton and actively engage in educating the electorates on election matters. Knowledge is power. The whole electoral process must be subject to media campaigns to educate voters on their civic and political duty and responsibility.
Civic and voter education ensure voters’ readiness, willingness and ability to fully participate in the elections,” he suggested.
He suggests that a competitive, inclusive and definitive election is essential for democratic consolidation, highlighting that political socialisation is invigorated through civic and voter education and therefore, the media must be instrumental in educating voters on the whole electoral cycle. Mfundisi insists that mass media campaigns are critical for imparting knowledge and skills on elections. He added: “Civic education provides civic knowledge, civic skills and civic disposition.
Voter education, on the other side, is about learning about the electoral process (pre, during, and after the elections). Issues covered include, voters’ civic duties and obligations, political parties, candidates, the voting process, counting processes, and the role of the IEC.”
Meanwhile, perhaps, as a way of highlighting the importance of the role played by the media in society, President Mokgweetsi Masisi recently extended his appreciation of the media for their crucial role in disseminating information and shaping public awareness on a wide range of issues, as quoted by BOPA, a State-owned news agency.
During a cultural event called ‘meet and greet with media’ in Kasane recently, President Masisi highlighted the pivotal role played by the media in keeping the public informed about current affairs and allowing them to form opinions on various matters. “President Masisi also emphasised the significance of the media in upholding Botswana’s democracy, noting that the media operated freely without hindrance,” BOPA further reported.