Reporting Elections, Safety and Security of Journalists organisations such as MISA Zimbabwe, Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ), Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), Media Monitors Zimbabwe), Gender and Media Connect (GMC) and Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF). Above all, journalists should make it their cardinal rule to report both sides of the story by detailing the account of an event through the inclusion of as many voices to authenticate the story thereby assisting the public in coming up with balanced views on events that shape their daily lives and how they can best deal with the issues at hand. The Guidelines on Media Coverage of Elections in the SADC Region further stress that it is vital to: a. Ensure that journalists are familiar with the national legislative framework governing the electoral process and are fully conversant with all aspects of the electoral process, including the electoral institutions; b. Be familiar with regional and continental principles and benchmarks on election coverage; c. Provide platforms for accessing information that enable informed analysis and opinion on elections. The role of the media is to report the entire electoral process: Pre-voting • Electoral management institutions • Civic education • Electoral system 68 https://zimbabwe.misa.org