Safety Advisory
Introduction
The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos-Nigeria is publishing this advisory with the aim of:
- Promoting the personal safety of journalists covering the Nigeria 2023 general elections and other off-cycle ones;
- Ensuring that journalists covering the elections are fully equipped with knowledge on safety precautions while on the field;
- Ensuring professionalism in the coverage and reportage of the 2023 general elections and subsequent ones; and
- Complementing national and international standards for reporting electoral processes and elections, and the safety of journalists.
The advisory notes that although the vital role of the media in keeping the citizens well informed on
electoral processes and elections is generally acknowledged, journalists are however often vulnerable to
threats and attacks during the processes.
In line with the above objectives, the advisory is divided into the two parts of Safety & Ethics and
Professionalism.
a. Before the Assignment
- Be prepared: Anticipate risks and engage in situational scanning of the planned area of coverage especially by utilising information contained in election manipulation risk index and threat to election security reports of civil society organisations and security agencies. This helps you to identify potential risks and develop mitigation plans.
- Use common sense: Trust your instinct when you sense danger. Know when and how to step back carefully or discreetly.
- Mind your health: Confide in your management if you have any health challenge so you can be excused from coverage in potentially dangerous zones.
- Confirm your fitness: Irrespective of whether you think you are fit or not, find time for medical check-up before stepping to the field to cover campaigns or elections. Never forget to take prescribed medications and follow other instructions of your physician.
- Don't be secretive: Get members of your immediate family, colleagues and management informed of your movement at every point in time while on the field. You should know off-head some of their phone numbers in case you suddenly lose your mobile phone and there is the urgency of reaching someone close to you.
- Be armed with industry contacts: Ensure to have the contact details of the national secretariat, zonal or state chapters of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Guild of Editors, other umbrella media professional bodies/associations and media support groups as listed in the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage for intervention in case of attacks/threats.
- Dress smart: Dress smartly and wear shoes that make brisk walking or running possible if occasion demands.
b. During Assignment
- Make identification easy: Don your INEC accreditation tags on election day and also have with you the identity card of your media house or professional body in case law enforcement and security agents on election duty request to see such.
- Put up good attitude: Show respect to law enforcement and security agents on election duty. Calmly and non-provocatively answer any questions they may ask you.
- Be brave and smart: Avoid mobs if the situation gets rough or violent. Cover from reasonable distance to make retreat possible.
- Do not walk or move alone: As much as possible move in groups or in clusters. It is much easier to attack a person than a group of persons.
- Be non-partisan: Do not display bias in favour of any political party and avoid being caught in partisan public discussion.
- Maintain integrity: Do not negotiate with any politician to suppress information or collect bribes to publish stories. These may come to hunt you.
- Never lose touch: Be in constant touch with close relatives and friends and create a safety alert response that allows immediate contact with them in case of attacks/threats.
- Know your route and when to travel: Have planned routes and know alternatives if you are driving or if you are being driven. As much as possible, avoid travelling at night.
c. After Assignment
- As much as possible, send vital information gathered on the field to your news editor or desk ahead before leaving the location of coverage to avoid losing them in case of attack or any other crisis.
- Ensure your reports are factually accurate and not based on opinion.
- Refrain from riding with unknown persons or persons you just met on the field and cannot fully trust.
- Avoid staying out doors for too long especially if making use of equipment like microphones, cameras, etc.
- Check for any suspicious movement around you and regularly watch out in case you are being followed so you can alert your newsroom or other close contacts.
- Be careful what you publish on social media post-elections, to avoid being seen as partisan or biased.
Ethics and Professionalism
The Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage describes journalists as “the key purveyor of information on the electoral processes”, which makes it imperative for them to adopt best professional and ethical standards and imbibe the principles of conflict-sensitive journalism in the reporting of the general elections.
To this end, journalists should:
- Report the elections in a fair, accurate and balanced manner;
- Report only factual electoral information;
- Verify any allegation made against a party, candidate or any other interest before publishing while reflecting all sides in the story;
- Report the views of candidates and political parties directly and in their own words, while exercising necessary professional discretion, rather than as they are interpreted by others;
- Refrain from declaring a candidate the winner of an election unless as announced by designated electoral official;
- Avoid soliciting or accepting bribes or making any other pecuniary demands from parties and candidates to publish or suppress reports;
- Avoid using or displaying any insignia of candidates and parties in the course of professional duty;
- Always verify the facts and information contained in press releases and media briefings to avoid publishing misleading information;
- Avoid the publication of fake news and refrain from disseminating misinformation or disinformation.
IPC Election Day Journalists’ Safety Alert Desk
Pursuant to the objectives of promoting the personal safety of journalists covering the Nigeria 2023 general elections, including other off-cycle ones, the International Press Centre (IPC), under its IPC ELECTION DAY JOURNALISTS’ SAFETY ALERT DESK is tracking information or complaints in order to take necessary action on any form of harassment of journalists covering the elections.
Journalists or media professionals who encounter any form of harassment in the course of covering the elections are advised to incident such by clicking any of the WhatsApp quick message code below or by SMS text or direct call to any of the under-listed officers of the IPC Election-Day-Journalists’ Safety-Alert-Desk.
Melody @ bit.ly/IPCALERT1
081327764412.
Olutoyin @ bit.ly/IPCALERT2
081145038873.
David @ bit.ly/IPCALERT3
07069451562.
Adeola @ bit.ly/IPCALERT4
08128241359.
The IPC Election Day Journalists’ Safety Alert Desk is also receiving information on incidents where journalists have been harassed or attacked. Kindly send such information to any of the above contacts or through Twitter: @ipcng.org
