The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has rolled out training for 350 journalists and media practitioners on elections reporting in preparation for the August 2022 elections in Kenya.
The training is scheduled to cover nine counties across the country in the first phase over the next two weeks. A team of MCK accredited trainers will undertake the training using the MCK training manual for Election Coverage, and the Guidelines for Election Coverage 2022 launched early this year.
The Council will also train editorial staff teams from Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) on how to cover elections, during the same period.
Journalists and Media Practitioners will be equipped with skills in Ethical Reporting, Hate Speech and Conflict Sensitive Reporting during elections, Debunking Misinformation, Covering Opinion Polls, and moderating Live Broadcasts.
The training targets Uasin Gishu and Narok in the Rift Valley region, Embu, Garissa and Makueni in the Eastern Region, Kisii and Siaya in the Nyanza Region, Kilifi in the Coast and Kirinyaga in Central Region.
The electioneering season presents a big test to media professional practice. It has been observed that the end of the political party primaries has set the stage for heightened political activities in the country ahead of the August 9 General Election.
Among the training teams will be officers from the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties when they are available.
The trainings are in line with the Council’s mandate to set media standards and ensure compliance with those standards through trainings.