Methodology

A team of media monitors has been trained in the quantitative and qualitative methodology normally used by EU EOMs to measure the time, space and tone devoted to the political parties and candidates for the Presidential Election in Guinea Bissau. The methodology employed is the one designed by the Osservatorio di Pavia, an Italian institute of media research and analysis. The Osservatorio has monitored domestic media coverage for the past decade in Italy, as well as more than 50 elections in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Asia, South America and Africa.

The methodology used has been employed in other countries whose elections were observed by the European Union, included Cambodia (2001), Kenya (2002), Madagascar (2002), Congo Brazzaville (2002), Mozambique (2003) , Sri Lanka (2004) and West Bank and Gaza (2005). The media unit monitors public and private television stations and radio stations and gathers data from daily newspapers.

The EUEOM’s Media Expert analyses the legal provisions regarding media, the implementation of these provisions, including the granting of free broadcast time and if the campaign silence period prior to election day is honored. The Media Expert will meet government officials, journalists, editors and executives of public and private media outlets as well as international and national NGOs working in this field. The Media Expert 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 with.

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 Guinea Bissau 2005. She can be reached by email at: lucia.scotton@eueomgbissau.org