Open
and consistent communication with media, voters and the general public
facilitates an improved public image for the EMB. A positive image has obvious advantages in
all aspects of EMB work. However, in a democratic election, the EMB is also obligated to communicate, for the
following reasons:
- The public has a right to information about elections:
how they can exercise their right to vote, how the electoral process is
being managed, when the electoral stages are to take place, how they can
become candidates, what the results are, and so on;
- The EMB is accountable to all stakeholders in the
electoral process, including the voters and the candidates or political
parties. With accountability comes an obligation to be transparent in its
workings.
One of
the primary ways this information is provided to wider audiences is through
direct interaction between EMBs and media who are covering the election. Media provide a vital conduit for information
to the public while simultaneously acting as watchdogs of the process. It is often the latter that leads to an
environment of distrust -and sometimes, outright hostility- between EMB
officials and members of the media.
Indeed, mistrust is often the single greatest obstacle to effective
collaboration between electoral managers and the media.
A lack
of constructive communication between an EMB and the media is a serious
problem, making the policy and regulatory role of the EMB much more difficult
to achieve. It will also create obstacles to accurate media reporting of the
electoral process. Yet, far more serious than a breakdown of communication
between an EMB and the media is the impact that this can have on the EMB’s
overall capacity to communicate with the electorate. Media relations, important
as they are, only form part of a larger media strategy. This overall strategy includes civic
education, voter information, voter education, among other aspects. An EMB’s media work will be more effective if
it is clearly placed within a well-considered approach to media relations.
Before
proceeding, it is important that the reader has a clear understanding of the
differences and overlaps of four main areas of EMB communications: voter
information, voter education, civic education, and media relations. These definitions are taken from the topic
area: Voter Education
that can also be found in the Encyclopaedia.
Please refer to this topic area for more detailed information on these
EMB activities.
Voter
Information refers to basic
information enabling qualified citizens to vote, including the date, time, and
place of voting; the type of election; identification necessary to
establish eligibility; registration requirements; and mechanisms for
voting. These constitute basic facts about the election and do not require the
explanation of concepts. Messages will be developed for each new election.
These activities can usually be implemented quickly (although sufficient
planning is still required). Election authorities are typically required to
provide this type of information, although contestants in the election and civil
society organizations will also do so.
Voter Education typically
addresses voters' motivation and preparedness to participate fully in
elections. It pertains to relatively more complex types of information about
voting and the electoral process and is concerned with concepts such as the
link between basic human rights and voting rights; the role,
responsibilities and rights of voters; the relationship between elections and
democracy and the conditions necessary for democratic elections; secrecy of the
ballot; why each vote is important and its impact on public accountability; and
how votes translate into seats. Such concepts involve explanation, not just a
statement of facts. Voter education requires more lead time for implementation
than voter information and, ideally, should be undertaken on an on-going basis.
Election authorities and civil society organizations most often provide this
type of information.
In
societies where there have been major changes to electoral systems, processes,
and procedures, and in the case of the newly enfranchised and first time
voters, both voter information and voter education programmes will need to
thoroughly address both facts and concepts.
Civic Education deals with
broader concepts underpinning a democratic society such as the respective roles
and responsibilities of citizens, government, political and special interests,
the mass media, and the business and non-profit sectors, as well as the
significance of periodic and competitive elections. It emphasizes not only
citizen awareness but citizen participation in all aspects of democratic
society. Civic education is a continual process, not tied to the electoral
cycle. Voter information and voter education, however, may be part of larger
civic education endeavours. Civic education may be carried out through the
school and university system, through civil society organizations, and perhaps
by some state agencies, although not necessarily the election authority.
Media Relations involves a process of
communication with media outlets and journalists who in turn create media coverage
of electoral affairs as part of their normal work of producing news and current
affairs. The Media Relations Department (also called a press office) is the
first stop for media who have questions, concerns, and complaints; and the
department that writes press releases, organizes press conferences, and
provides media interviews. Unlike for
voter information, voter education, and civic education, the EMB Media
Relations Department does not have direct control over what is broadcast by the
media; instead they act only to guide it by providing accurate, comprehensive
and timely information. However, all of these areas of communication overlap in
that they are attempts to provide the electorate the information they need in
order to vote in an informed manner.
Messages between each of these activities should be coordinated and
compatible. Media relations are often
termed public relations. There are notable differences between the two
terms. Media relations deals
specifically with the media, while public
relations (or sometimes called public affairs) is responsible to a larger
audience, including regular citizens who might require information from the
EMB. For the purposes of this topic
area, the discussion involves media relations specifically. However, it is also
recognized that overlap will occur and that some EMBs will merge the two tasks
into one department.
The overlap is even greater in the age of
convergence of information and communication technologies. For example, the EMB
team that manages its website may well be responsible for posting press
releases and news stories written by the EMB, election results which are
accessible by the media as well as the broader public, at the same time as
hosting online voter registration services and brochures that explain the
electoral system. In other words there is a certain degree of convergence
between the media (website), the content (voter information and education,
media relations), and the users (both media and the general public) in this
example.
Despite this convergence, media are a
distinct and crucial stakeholder and target audience, and their needs are often
different from those of the public at large. In addition, media plays many
roles. They are not just a mouthpiece for EMB education campaigns, but also a
crucial and (usually) independent observer of the electoral process.
EMBs work in a constant cycle. Once a
country has gone through its initial, transitional democratic election, it will
be bound into an endless process of election organization: legislative (two
houses perhaps), presidential, regional, local – even, in the case of Europe,
international. There may be plebiscites or referenda. There may be votes on
particular proposed laws. Democracy, in its nuts and bolts, is hard work. And
the work does not stop. Communication with the media is crucial to this
cyclical process, and while continual, each of the steps of the process
requires careful planning.
Media
relations planning benefits greatly from a pro-active and well-thought-through
approach, rather than simply relying on well-tested techniques – press
releases, news conferences, etc. Successful media relations strategies tend to
start with overall objectives, messages and a clear understanding of the
audience layout.
There
are, of course, different approaches to media relations planning and
implementation. Effective approaches are likely to have the following steps in
common (in more or less this order):
- Establish an EMB Media Relations Department with
qualified staff;
- Establish objectives and overall goal of EMB media
relations;
- Analyse the EMB and Media Relations Department’s
strengths and weaknesses;
- Conduct consultation with media and relevant
stakeholders;
- Chart the electoral cycle/phases;
- Analyse the audience;
- Map the media (what media exists and where, who their
audiences are, what are their strengths and weaknesses);
- Understand the techniques and tools of media relations
and outreach;
- Establish messages according to the phases, the
audiences, the media layout, and communication techniques at your
disposal;
- Develop a media strategy for disseminating messages (including
specific mechanisms and timeframe);
- Implement the strategy, while:
- Continuing to monitor media coverage, assess of
audience feedback, and conduct stakeholder/media consultation;
- Continue to foster media relations as influenced by
the monitoring, feedback, and consultation above.
Most of these steps go hand in hand
with what other communication-related bodies in the EMB will also be required
to do. For example, voter information,
voter education and civic education all require solid understanding of the
layout of audiences and the profiles of media that reach them. Furthermore, messages should be developed
that can effectively impact these audiences.
This further underscores the point that the Media Relations Department
or office should make a concerted effort to be in close communication and
collaboration with each of these other EMB activities.
Each of these steps is explored in
the following pages.
