Determined to assist voters make informed choices: Hereby agree on, adopt and resolve to abide by or support the implementation of the following voluntary guidelines, which media professionals are urged to apply throughout the electoral process – pre-voting, voting and post voting period. 1. Role of the media in elections The role of the media during the entire electoral process is to ensure that voters make informed choices. The coverage of candidates, parties and electoral processes is in pursuit of this central purpose. Principal roles of the media in elections are defined as follows: The media are required to provide relevant information, analyse it and additionally offer substantive opinions to the public, while also serving as a platform for debate and discussion. Furthermore, the media shall fulfill their watchdog role by promoting transparency and thus preventing electoral fraud. The media have a duty to provide election coverage that gives the voter comprehensive, accurate and reliable information on all aspects of the electoral process. This information will also help to ensure that the voters know and understand their democratic rights and exercise them free from fear, intimidation or coercion. As the Fourth Estate the media is expected 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. 128 So This is Democracy? 2015 The role of the media is to report during the entire electoral process: I. Pre-voting • Electoral management institutions • Civic education • Electoral system • Demarcation of constituencies • Voter registration • Voters’ roll • Candidate or party registration • Nomination processes • Official campaign period II. Voting Period • Voting days • Voting procedures, • Location of polling stations • Activities at polling stations • Role of stakeholders at polling stations • Election monitors • Election observers and their observations • Vote counting and results III. Post Voting Period • Appointments to office • Analysis of promises made by the government/governing party • Holding parties accountable. 2. Conditions necessary for the media to play an effective role Freedom of expression, freedom of the media and access to information are crucial for media to play these roles effectively. Also of critical importance is that: a) Media houses provide adequate resources to their journalists for effective election coverage; b) The media enjoy unfettered editorial and programming independence from all vested interests including candidates, parties, media owners and organisations allied to and/or supporting candidates and political parties; c) All laws that hinder the media in fulfilling their role are repealed; d) All media are allowed access to all elec-