Section 2

2.0. Professionalism & Social Responsibility

As the key purveyor of information on the electoral processes, the media shall at all times, embrace best professional practices by acting in accordance with the principles of social responsibility.

Accordingly:
2.1. Fairness, Accuracy and Balance

The Responsibilities of Journalists
2.1.1. A journalist shall report elections in a fair, accurate and balanced manner;

2.1.2. A journalist shall report only factual electoral information;

2.1.3. A journalist shall verify any allegation made against a party, candidate or any other interest before publishing while reflecting all sides in the story;

2.1.4. A journalist shall 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;

2.1.5. A journalist shall not declare a candidate as the winner of an election unless as announced by appropriate electoral authorities

The Responsibilities of Media Organisations
2.1.6. A media organisation shall ensure accurate and impartial voter education about political parties and candidates, registration, verification, voting centres, voting procedures, complaint procedures, etc, as provided by relevant laws and agencies;

2.1.7. A media organisation shall strive to disseminate voter education in indigenous languages and/or through messages that target under-represented groups including women, youth and persons with disabilities;

2.1.8. A media organisation shall uphold the right of the people to free expression by providing opportunity for under-represented groups to express their views during electoral processes.