ELECTION OBSERVATION

Media Monitoring: Election Observation through Media

(2015 General Election of Myanmar)

Press Release on Final Report of Election Observation through Media

Election observation through media is monitoring election via media platform; the coverage of media in balance, plurality, impartiality by issues, political parties, political leaders and candidates.

The project aimed to support data findings by media lens for advocacy process of transparent and accountable electoral reform while there is much coverage in polling station observation nationwide.

Media Release on “Towards Improved Standards in Media Coverage of Next Election” at Park Royal Hotel

MYNFREL implemented the Election Observation through Media Project by the kind and generous support of the French Embassy. The Democracy Reporting International (DRI) and Memo 98 supported media monitoring training to the monitors of MYNFREL.

Why Media Monitoring is needed?

Media were showing much electoral news on each media with different issue. Although the voters seemed to be not interested in election at the beginning of the year (2015), most voters who have media access, especially urban areas were becoming interested in more than before. By looking social media, we could see many electoral pages with different background, news and views.

We could identify that the participation of media was being strong at that time. As media is the fifth pillar, which coordinate (relation) among public, Government and CSOs, the power of media is very strong on all stakeholders. That can be positive or negative or neutral according to their background and independency on each when we have to look at them although they will say it is true because it is depending on what they want the public to be seen on an issue.

Therefore, we need to see what the media is publishing to access information to the people in electoral news such as voter education & information, political campaign strategy and Election Day process, result and election dispute resolution. By monitoring the process, we will be able to push to be a reform process; which may be laws, by law, regulations, code of conduct, accreditation process and procedure or etc; with our findings.

Practicing Monitoring News as Part of Media Monitoring Training by Daw Khin Ma Ma Myo

MYNFREL started the project on August, 2015 by financially supporting of French Embassy (Myanmar) as an election observation mission of 2015 historic general election.

The training to media monitor was conducted for five days and then MYNFREL started the media monitoring process with eight media monitors. There were two types of media; Press Media (Newspaper), Broadcast Media (Radio and Television), that we covered.