There are broadly two sets of administrative tasks associated with the management of the media in elections. In principle, these are unrelated, although in practice it is often the same unit of the electoral supervisory body that is responsible.
- First, there is the function of regulating media coverage of the election - primarily focusing on issues such as allocation of direct access programming, but also with a mechanism for speedily dealing with complaints.
- Secondly, there is the dispensing of material from the electoral supervisory body to the media - not necessarily on matters to do with regulation of the media.
To deal with the latter, the electoral supervisory body will need to have a press office under the direction of a public relations officer, preferably with active experience as a journalist. Depending on the size and complexity of the country, regional or local press offices may be needed as well. The function of these offices is the speedy distribution of information. The media are vital to the election administration in disseminating material to the public at large. This works best if a principle of maximum disclosure applies and a relationship of trust is built between media and election officials. If an effort is made to distribute all the information that it is possible to distribute, journalists will be more understanding about those areas where confidentiality must be maintained to secure the integrity of the election process.
The type of information that should be freely available to the media covers matters such as the details of the electoral process, the parties and candidates, electoral boundaries and demographics, and so on. It does not include information about the platforms of the individual parties or candidates, which they themselves will no doubt make available.
In administrative terms, the complexity of such an operation will depend upon the degree of media interest in an election - if media people are coming from all corners of the globe, then running a press office can be a major undertaking. But, whatever the size and complexity of the operation, there is much to be gained from preparation and pro-active distribution of materials. Early preparation of briefing packs and regular press releases and press conferences will create a workload that is easier for the press office itself to manage and minimize the extent to which it has to respond to media queries.
The first function - regulation of media coverage - is altogether more complex and is quite separate from the function of a press office. Some electoral commissions have a 'media unit' that does both, but it is important that the conceptual distinction is maintained.
The extent of the administrative burden will depend in part on what regulatory instruments already exist: have the criteria and mechanisms for allocating party election broadcasts already been set down in law, for example? Or will the electoral commission have to devise its own regulations?
A variety of different administrative bodies may be involved. It is not automatic that the electoral supervisory body is involved. It may instead fall under the aegis of the broadcasting regulator, for example, or a self-regulating committee of broadcasters. Or a wholly separate regulatory body may be established. Each approach has something to recommend it. It is important, however, that a dedicated unit exist, whether independently or as part of another regulatory body, to deal with these complex issues.
