Newsrooms equipped and ready for 2024 synchronised Election coverage

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A comprehensive two-week training programme for journalists focused on election coverage recently concludes in Honiara.
With support from the British High Commission in Solomon Islands, Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI) organised the training, facilitated by the BBC Media Action.

The training sessions were divided into two groups, the first of which comprised a diverse mix of participants, including both seasoned reporters and newcomers to the field of journalism. This group consisted of 35 participants split into morning and
afternoon sessions.
Among them were representatives from the Solomon Island Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC), all newspapers, various FM stations, In Depth Solomons, and stringers from different provinces.
The second group consisted of editors and senior journalists from various media outlets, totalling around 12 participants. This group included editors from Solomon Star, Island Sun, Sunday Isles, as well as station managers from ZFM 100 and Paoa
FM. Four senior team leaders from SIBC also joined this group.
BBC Media Action Project Director, Dipak Bhattarai said:
“The training sessions emphasized the importance of adopting an audience-centric approach to election reporting. Topics covered included the multifaceted roles of the media during elections, such as serving as educators, providing platforms for public forums, and watchdogs. These roles were discussed in the context of the pre-election period, election day itself, and the post-election phase including result announcements and coalition negotiations.”

He said special attention was given to underrepresented groups in the Solomon Islands, particularly those who may feel less inclined or informed to participate in the democratic process. The discussions highlighted the importance of engaging women
more actively across all aspects of election coverage and implementing strategies to
achieve this goal.
Editors came up with their editorial coverage plans tailored specifically for the elections. Furthermore, the training addressed the principles of conflict-sensitive reporting and provided guidelines for producing content that is sensitive to conflict
dynamics. Journalists and editors were briefed on their crucial roles in ensuring adherence to these guidelines.
As part of the training with editors, the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (SIEC) conducted sessions to review its election code of conduct for the media in collaboration with senior journalists and Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI).

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