BBC Media Action equip newsrooms in Honiara for 2024 election coverage
A comprehensive two-week training programme focusing on election coverage was organised for journalists by the Media Association of Solomon Islands.
A group photo of the Editors who attended the training session.
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 2 groups, the first of which comprised a diverse mixture 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 to Solomon Islands, 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).