The European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EUSDGN) Programme, through its implementing partners, the International Press Centre (IPC) and the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), recently hosted a virtual event to assess the media’s performance in election coverage. The meeting focused on evaluating the Media Performance Scorecard and measuring the effectiveness of media interventions during the election process.
Key stakeholders, including media professionals from print, broadcast, and online platforms, along with prominent figures from the media industry, participated in the event.
Dr. Akin Akingbulu, Executive Director of CEMESO, highlighted the EU’s support, stating, “Both organisations, with funding from the European Union, are consistently exploring strategies to enhance transparency and accountability in media practices during elections. By evaluating critical metrics such as accuracy, fairness, and responsiveness to public concerns, stakeholders can gauge the media’s effectiveness in serving the public’s interest.”
Discussions covered key areas, including improving media professionalism, combating electoral misinformation and disinformation, enhancing electoral coverage, improving the dissemination of civic and voter education, and utilizing the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to promote accountability. Other focus areas included strengthening broadcasting regulatory bodies and encouraging media participation in advocating for greater representation of women, youth, and marginalized groups in politics.
The event adopted strategic dialogue, experience-sharing, and the exchange of success stories, leading to actionable insights aimed at further improving media conduct in future elections.
These initiatives, supported by the European Union, underscore its commitment to promoting democratic values and media integrity in Nigeria.
