TellZim Reporter
Journalists and media practitioners around Zimbabwe have been reminded of the need to value facts when preparing news articles for public consumption especially during elections.
The call was made by veteran journalist Cris Chinaka in Harare on April 24 during a training workshop for journalists drawn from various media outlets across the country.
Chinaka said it was imperative for journalists to always adhere to the profession’s ethics that is being factual, truthful and accurate as that is the only way to build trust in their audiences.
“Facts remain sacred during elections. Facts are what will distinguish traditional journalism from social media when it comes to election reporting.
“During seasons like election times, journalists and the media fraternity get challenged to prioritize facts and thus every one of you is required to dwell on facts in every report you may compile for the general public,” said Chinaka.
He also urged journalists to be innovative and come up with relevant ideas that address societal needs in the communities they serve.
“Journalists’ roles are to come up with ideas on areas that need to be fixed and that is part of the media’s primary role in ensuring development and accountability,” he added.
Chinaka also urged journalists to remain professional that is sticking to their professional codes of conduct and thus executing their duties effectively.
The journalists were further taken through the tips of what constitutes enough election reporting coverage that is mapping (broader appreciation of the national map, constituencies and wards), numbers (demographics, polling numbers, officers and even stations), historical context of the nation’s polls, personalities (parties and individual politicians involved) as well as processes involved during elections.
Journalists were also taken through an appreciation of the use of mobile journalism during elections and after by trainer Privilege Musvanhiri.
