The various resources listed here are all online resources. Go to the Bibliography for a listing of books, pamphlets and reports on media and elections.
Law and standards
The following World Wide Web sites give information about the various international standards, laws, and widely accepted practices for media during election periods:
- United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/7/b/mfro.htm. The essential source for global standards on media issues, including during elections and in transitional democracies.
- ARTICLE 19, the Global Campaign for Free Expression: http://www.article19.org/. Non-governmental organization that has pioneered standards on media in transitional elections. Also many reports on media law and freedom issues and media monitoring methodology and reports.
- Communications Law in Transition Newsletter: http://pcmlp.socleg.ox.ac.uk/transition/. An online journal of media and communications law in transitional democracies.
- Freedom Forum's Media Studies Journal: http://www.mediastudies.org/contents.htm. Several issues have dealt with media and elections issues.
- Electoral Institute of Southern Africa: http://www.eisa.org.za/. Regional organization that has promoted standards for media in elections.
- Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe: http://www.osce.org/odihr/. Standards, election observer reports etc.
- European Institute of the Media: http://www.eim.org/. Regional organization with strong Media and Democracy programme and many media monitoring reports.
- National Council on Opinion Polls (United States): http://www.ncpp.org/. Guidance on opinion poll reporting.
Media Regulatory Bodies
This is just a small sample of the many media regulatory bodies. Their responsibilities in election periods vary greatly by country:
- Independent Broadcasting Authority (South Africa): http://www.iba.org.za/. A pioneer in developing media regulations for a transitional democracy.
- Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/.
- Australian Broadcasting Authority: http://www.aba.gov.au/.
- Federal Communications Commission (United States): http://www.fcc.gov/.
- Broadcasting Standards Commission (United Kingdom): http://www.bsc.org.uk/. The statutory broadcasting complaints authority.
Media Monitoring
The following sites offer samples of media monitoring reports from elections and, in some cases, also guidance on how to monitor:
- ARTICLE 19: http://www.article19.org. As above.
- European Institute of the Media: http://www.eim.org. As above.
- Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe: http://www.osce.org/odihr/elecrep.htm. As above.
- Memo 98 (Slovakia): http://www.memo98.sk
- Media Monitoring Project (South Africa): http://www.sn.apc.org/mmp/.
- Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe: http://mmpz.icon.co.zw/.
- Media Monitoring Project Tanzania: http://www.jeas-tanzania.org/.
- Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (United States): http://www.fair.org/.
Media Freedom and Protection of Journalists
The following are organizations that may not specifically work on media and elections but have a strong focus on defence of media freedom:
- International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX): http://www.ifex.org/. A network of all the main media freedom organizations, international, regionally and nationally. An important source of links.
- International Federation of Journalists: http://www.ifj.org/. Also a source for standards, training materials etc.
- Freedom Forum: http://www.freedomforum.org/. Standards, training resources, discussion.
- Committee to Protect Journalists: http://www.cpj.org/. Campaigns for journalists who are imprisoned or under threat.
- Reporters sans Frontieres: http://www.rsf.fr/. International media freedom campaign.
- Media Institute of Southern Africa: http://www.misanet.org/. Media freedom in Southern Africa, but also training, standards etc.
- Commonwealth Broadcasting Association: http://www.oneworld.org/cba/. Grouping of mainly public broadcasters on broadcasting freedom, standards, training etc.
- World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters: http://www.amarc.org. Campaigning, training, standards.
