EU EOM Media Monitoring
The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) will observe the Presidential elections in Guinea Bissau in order to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the electoral process and then offer an impartial, balanced and informed assessment of the elections. In order to carry out this brief, one part of the Election Observation Mission is devoted to monitoring the media coverage of the elections.
The EU EOM monitors media coverage of elections in order to assess:-
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whether political parties and candidates gained fair access to the media,
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whether the media and the authorities abided by the rules and regulations covering their conduct during the campaign - based on the standards set in Bissau-Guinean law, and
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whether it was possible for the public to gather sufficient information via the media to assist them to make a decision on election day.
There is a team of four media monitors trained in the quantitative and qualitative methodology of the Osservatorio di Pavia to measure the time, space and tone devoted to the political parties and candidates in a cross-section of the Bissau-Guinean national media. The team monitors the television stations RTGB (public TV) , the radio station Radio Nacional (public radio), the private Radio Bombolom and Radio Pinjiguiti, the main weekly newspapersGazeta de Notícias, Díario de Bissau, Kansaré and the state-run No Pintcha .
The results of the monitoring are analysed regularly and used to keep the EU EOM informed on media developments.
In addition, the Media Expert analyses the legal provisions regarding media, the implementation of these provisions, including the granting free broadcast time, and if the campaign silence period prior to Election Day is honoured. The Media Expert will meet government officials with jurisdiction in aspect of the media, journalists, editors and executives of public and private media outlets as well as international and national NGOs working in this field. The Media Expert of the EU EOM will gather information to assess any complaints made by the parties on the quality or quantity of their media coverage and how they were dealt by the competent authorities.
The results of the overall analysis will form part of the EU EOM's assessment of the election process.
Lucia Scotton is the Media Expert for the EU EOM in Guinea Bissau - she can be reached by email at lucia.scotton@eueomm.org .
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