Elections: Institute tasks Media on inclusive reportage

The Institute for Media and Society (IMS), has urged the media to improve its focus on the reportage of inclusiveness in the forthcoming general elections.

The IMS Executive Director, Akin Akingbulu, made the call during a two-day workshop on “Sharing on Good Practices and Trends on Inclusive Coverage of the Electoral Process” for media practitioners, held in Abuja on Monday.

He said the workshop was aimed at refocusing the media to give quality attention to inclusive participation in the 2023 electoral process.

“The European Union (EU) media support seeks to achieve a media providing a fair, accurate, professional, ethical and inclusive coverage of the electoral process.

“The focus of the marginalised group in the election process include women, youths and Persons with Disabilities”.

He urged participants at the workshop to work toward providing outcomes that would bridge the gap in inclusive coverage for the electoral process.

The Institute’s Programme Manager, Timothy Bamidele explained that the EU SDGN project 11, was to foster a friendly and all-participatory democratic process in the country.

Bamidele said the EU SDGN project for media support was to address the challenges media practitioners face during the coverage and reportage of inclusiveness during the electoral process.

According to him, IMS in a bid to promote inclusiveness in the electoral reportage has empowered 60 women journalists with digital storytelling skills.

The workshop was organised by IMS in collaboration with the Support-to-Media Component of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU SDGN II) Project.

NAN/PIAK