The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has implored journalists in the country to desist from being agents of fake news as campaign period for the September 16 General Election is opened.
MEC’s Director of Media and Public Relations, Sangwani Mwafulirwa made the remarks after conducting media trainings on elections reporting targeting Mangochi and Lilongwe journalists on Saturday and Monday respectively.
Gazette Media has organised the trainings which will also equip Northern Region-based journalists on Wednesday and their colleagues from Southern Region on Saturday this week.
Mwafulirwa said journalists, especially those working with community outlets like radios, have an obligation to civic educate masses on best election practises through their various media channels.
“It is time you started questioning some of the promises politicians make. Some of the information the politicians send is deliberately meant to misinform people, and it is our duty to take them to task, and not helping them to spread the fake information,” he said.
The training also equipped journalists with knowledge of the polling system and processes, dispute resolution and election malpractices.
One of the Lilongwe participants, Zephaniah Nungu of Nkhoma Radio commended MEC for the training.
“We have refreshed our minds on our duty during this crucial period. Sometimes we really neglect our duties as media and help to spread fake news. People trust everything they hear from us, so we need to up our game and verify information before sending it across to the audience,” he said.
MEC also briefed the participants about the Electoral Management Devices (EMD) sourced from Smartmatic company.
