The Dutch team and their hosts during the interaction
A TEAM from the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy engaged DAILY GUIDE in a discussion about the newspaper?s coverage for the forthcoming December polls in the country last Wednesday.
The team was led by two staffers of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) to the offices of the newspaper where the Chief Executive Officer, Gina Blay, Editor, Fortune Alimi and Chief News Editor, A.R. Gomda fielded questions pertaining to the 2012 polls in relation to media reportage.
Messrs Jan Tuit, Programmes Manager and Pepjin Gerrits, Director of Programmes were keen in finding out how the newspaper sought to balance its reportage on the campaigns of the various political parties so that all the players would have the opportunity of putting forth their messages.
DAILY GUIDE told their guests that balanced reportage and adherence to the ethics of the journalism profession had always been the guiding principles of the paper.
The paper disclosed also that it intended dissecting the various manifestoes with a view to assisting the electorate make up their minds about the parties? sincerity.
The team posed questions about opinion polls and how the newspaper treated them in the light of how these can influence the outcome of elections.
The paper expressed misgivings about polls given the empirical evidence surrounding their veracity in the country?s political history.
It was a fantastic exchange of ideas on reporting election 2012 and by the time the Dutch team left, it was satisfied with what it gleaned about local politics.
The Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy is a major partner of IEA?s democracy promoting programmes.
By A.R. Gomda
