Role of media Outlets during elections
Tariq Bhat
During elections, media acts as an important resource that provides information about candidates along with party manifestos, promotional campaigns of political parties, and future propaganda of specific candidates or parties. Voters can use this information to make decisions about the selection of a particular candidate
During an election campaign, media agencies have a critical responsibility to uphold the principles of democracy and ensure the public is well-informed. Here’s a summary of their key responsibilities:
1. Acting as a Watchdog: Media agencies should monitor the election process and campaign activities, ensuring transparency and accountability
2. Providing a Campaign Platform: They offer a space for political parties and candidates to communicate their messages and policies to the electorate
3. Serving as an Open Forum: The media should facilitate debate and discussion, allowing the public to voice their opinions and concerns
4. Educating the Public: Media agencies play a role in educating voters on how to exercise their democratic rights and the importance of their participation in the electoral process
5. Reporting on Campaign Developments: They should provide accurate and balanced coverage of the election campaign, including the development of policies and party platforms
6. Ensuring Equal Access: All candidates should have equal opportunity to present their platforms through the media, without bias or favoritism
7. Regulating Content: Media agencies must adhere to legal frameworks and ethical standards, avoiding hate speech and misinformation
8. Balanced News Coverage: They should strive for balanced coverage, giving fair attention to all parties involved in the election
Exit polls: An exit poll is one of the methods used for predicting the future results of elections. In order to predict election results, media personnel conduct research by collecting information from voters. It is completely different from opinion polls. Private media channels generally conduct opinion polls before elections to understand political trends across the country. The ECI has provided various guidelines and rules for controlling the use of exit polls during Indian elections. As per ECI guidelines, exit polls need to be conducted during a particular period of time. It should not be conducted during the voting period. Apart from that, ECI also ensures that the results of exit polls cannot be published on any media platform before the voting period across the country has ended. All media platforms that are taking active part in exit polls need to register with the election commission as well as follow the regulations. This activity helps to conduct exit polls in a fair and unbiased manner.
During elections, the media plays the role of a watchdog. Exposing corruption activities, malpractices and misuse of power by a specific candidate or party can be investigated by journalists before the elections. These activities of the media have helped to improve transparency as well as accountability, which could be essential for improving the integrity of the Indian elections. It could also help voters select the right candidate or leader by using voting rights in Indian democracy.
