Elections Coverage Planning

Source Link: https://app.pocketreporter.co.za/documents/Elections_Checklist.pdf****

This is a handy checklist for editors and news editors to use to plan and

allocate resources to cover an election

PRE-ELECTION PERIOD

  • Identify parties, review their manifestos and publish details;
  • Identify party representatives, get their contact details and also share them with colleagues;
  • Identify and contact and contact local and national electoral commission. Get contact details for offices and for electoral and media officers;
  • Talk to members of the community and identify and research their issues;
  • Create debate and discussion around local and national elections issues;
  • Do stories and infographics that assist with voter-education;
  • Divide up the electoral area/wards amongst reporters;
  • Make sure journalists read and understand the various codes of conduct governing the different players in the elections;
  • Ensure journalists all have Press cards;
  • Apply for official accreditation from the relevant electoral authority;
  • Assess election-readiness status of polling stations in terms of access to water, electrification, sanitation, contingency plans etc;
  • Radio/TV: host talk shows with political parties and independent commentators;
  • Radio/TV: Discuss elections plans with on-air colleagues (disc jockeys/talk show hosts/presenters) to keep them in the loop;
  • Print: ensure that you have photographs and biographies of candidates prepared;
  • Check that cell-phones and power banks are charged, stock up on spare batteries, air-time, make sure transport arrangements etc are in place;
  • Check leave roster; cancel leave already granted to key people;
  • Inform your readers/listeners/viewers where they can keep up to date on elections news on your online platforms;
  • Set up Twitter lists of parties, politicians and other accounts relevant to the election and monitor them using TweetDeck (https://tweetdeck.twitter.com/);
  • Subscribe to Facebook pages of political parties/political groupings/analysts etc and monitor them;
  • Use twXplorer (http://twxplorer.knightlab.com/) to find elections-related hashtags, add them to TweetDeck and monitor them.
  • Set up a WhatsApp number and tell your audience about it. Ask them to share elections-related news, insights, information, photos and video. NB: FACT-CHECK EVERYTHING YOU RECEIVE BEFORE PUBLISHING OR BROADCASTING IT

ELECTION DAY

  • Visit polling stations and check whether they opened on time;
  • Vote as soon as possible;
  • Conduct interviews with party representatives and presiding officer to find out whether or not parties are complying with the electoral code of conduct;
  • Note size of the queues
  • Interview members of the public about their voting experiences;
  • Note conduct of voters, party agents and elections authority officials;
  • Note security provisions;
  • Note prominent voters and try to interview them;
  • Inform radio listeners of status of voting stations and voting process;
  • Visit other polling stations;
  • Tweet and post to Facebook and include popular hashtags;
  • Use your mobile phone to shoot video for online.
  • Monitor your Twitter lists and Facebook carefully for stories
  • Use Twitter and Facebook to reach out to your audiences; they are extra eyes on the ground;
  • Ask your audience to share insights, photos and video via Twitter, Facebook
  • Monitor your WhatsApp number and other social media carefully;

NB: FACT-CHECK EVERYTHING YOU RECEIVE BEFORE

PUBLISHING OR BROADCASTING IT

POST-ELECTION PERIOD

  • Get official comment from the elections authority with respect to proclamation of fairness;
  • Note queries from political parties (that are given up to three days to lodge complaints);
  • Request post-election interviews with political parties;
  • Note State/Provincial and National results and interview winners;
  • Seek analytical comment from independent commentators on results;
  • Interview members of community with respect to election results;
  • Cover election celebrations;
  • Check the progress of winning party after 100 days, 200 days, 300 days:
  • Keep newly elected government accountable and check that it follows up on

election promises.

Based on International Federation of Journalists ELECTION REPORTING

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