Laws are made by the legislature, so in principle the answer to this question is simple. In practice it is less so. Any law that "regulates" the media is profoundly sensitive, even when the purpose of regulation is to ensure pluralism in the media and a full voice to different political viewpoints.
In any event, good legislative practice involves consultation and the following are the main stakeholders to be consulted in drafting laws or regulations on the media and elections:
- The media themselves - directly, as well as through professional bodies and trade unions.
- The political parties - since part of the purpose of regulation is to ensure that they have fair access to the media.
- Any existing regulatory body, whether it be a broadcasting regulator involved in the distribution of frequencies or a media council responsible for the development and enforcement of professional standards.
- Election administrators - many aspects of the media's work during elections depend on a close working relationship with those responsible for supervising and administering the election.
- The electorate - since it is they whose information needs are ultimately at stake. To consult "the electorate" as a whole is clearly problematic, but it should be possible to identify representative organizations, for example of those who may have special information requirements. These might include national or ethnic minorities, women, the illiterate or people with disabilities.
