The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos-Nigeria, is set to launch the reports of its media monitoring of coverage of elections in Nigeria and the revised Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage.
The launch will be part of activities at the Stakeholders roundtable event which will be held on Tuesday, January 24, 2023.
The Executive Director IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade in a statement said: “In addition to promoting democratic elections, the analysis of the media monitoring report of the 2023 elections is pivotal in determining the extent to which the elections can be said to be inclusive”.
He added: “This is why IPC will also present a performance scorecard by the monitored media based on their promotion of inclusive issues in their coverage and reportage of the electoral processes and elections, particularly in line with the stipulations of the Media Code of Election Coverage”.
The newspapers monitored are The Punch, The Guardian, Daily Sun, Vanguard, ThisDay, Nigerian Tribune, The Nation, Leadership, Daily Trust, and Daily Independent while the five online media include The Cable, the Premium Times, Eagle Online, RealNews and the Authority.
Also monitored are the News Portal (website) and the Twitter handles of Nigeria’s election management body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Prof Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika of the Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos, shall serve as the reviewer of the reports, while Mr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, General Secretary, NGE and Dr. Chido Onumah, Coordinator of AFRICMIL, (Vice President, North Central, ACSPN), shall be the lead discussants.
The media monitoring is one of the activities being implemented by IPC under an EU-funded project entitled, “Strengthening the media for fair, accurate, ethical, and inclusive coverage of the electoral processes and elections in Nigeria”.
The overall goal of the media component under EUSDGN II of which IPC is the lead partner is to “Support the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria with the media (broadcast, print and online media) helping to facilitate the key ingredient of credible elections through engagement and professionalism in coverage and reportage of the electoral processes.”