The free flow of information is essential to a free and fair election. The media disseminates election-related information and plays several roles that may affect election integrity. Journalists monitor elections from a news perspective and they may act as accredited national or international election reporters. They may uncover election-related fraud or corruption, and otherwise provide information on election developments to the public.

The work of the media results in much greater transparency for the election process, helping to safeguard election integrity. However, incorrect or biased reporting may give rise to false impressions, give the public an unfair perception of a particular candidate or the entire process, and thereby undermine the credibility of an election. Such actions are inconsistent with the media’s primary responsibility to keep the public informed in an objective manner.

Media Oversight of the Electoral Process

The media can help safeguard election integrity by uncovering fraud and corruption, and reporting irregularities in the electoral process. They help to ensure that electoral decision-makers are accountable for their actions, and also help to deter unethical or illegal conduct by officials or election participants.  In addition, for many voters the media is an important source of information on election processes and developments.

Transparency works to improve the electoral system since if defects, problems or other weaknesses are detected and made public electoral administrators or policy makers may be forced to take correction action.

Responsibility to Provide Fair and Balanced Reporting

Voters often mostly learn about the electoral process from news coverage of elections, perhaps even more than from political advertising or official programming. The media have a special responsibility to the public given the ability of the media to reach voters and citizens’ faith in what they read in the newspapers, hear on radio or see on television. They must offer fair and balanced reporting and ensure that everyone is treated equally. If they do not, the media may pose a serious threat to electoral integrity.

• Inaccurate reporting may give voters and policy makers the wrong impression. This may happen if the media carry false statements, use facts selectively or simply do not meet professional standards—for example, by not checking information or reporting rumour as fact.
• What appears as irresponsible reporting may in fact be deliberate. Members of the press may seek to sway public opinion through the selection of stories and the tone it adopts toward them.
• The media may stir up nationalist or discriminatory sentiment by focusing negatively on immigrants, minority ethnic groups, or a particular political party.
• The media may destroy a candidate’s credibility through unsubstantiated allegations of illegal or unethical activities.
• Biased media may give preferential treatment to large advertisers. Most political parties, candidates and interest groups run paid advertising in the media. These commercial benefits can undermine the principle of equal treatment for all election participants.
• Also, so-called journalists may reflect their political preference by favouring a particular party and tending to criticize others.
• Reporting on public opinion polls within a short period of time before voting day can subconsciously influence voters.

To lessen the danger that inappropriate reporting will compromise the integrity of the electoral process, media practices may be regulated by law. For example, France, Italy, South Africa and Canada place various legal restrictions on the publication of election-related opinion polls. In addition, the media’s obligation to provide fair, accurate and balanced reporting is entrenched in law in a number of countries; for example, in Austria the Federal Communications Committee (BKS) exercises this function, including during an electoral period.[1] Newspaper or broadcasting companies often include a code of conduct in the employment contract that their journalists sign, but that does not necessarily apply specifically to election-related reporting.