Especially in a new democracy where journalists have little experience of election reporting, it may be worth the investment of time and effort for the electoral supervisory body or the media regulatory body (if they are different) to carry out training of journalists. This could be done in conjunction with an established journalism training institution in the country or regionally, or with a professional or trade union body.
Ideally training will be conducted by the appropriate professional body, with contributions invited from the electoral body, in the form of guest lectures or materials. However, in a transitional situation the electoral body itself may want to take the initiative to ensure that training takes place.
The advantage to the supervisory body of this training having taken place is that it will speed the later flow of information to the media, without basics having to be repeated. It will also be an opportunity to inform journalists of the practical arrangements that will be in place for the election. It will be an occasion to tell them what they can and cannot do, both by law and by professional standards, in the course of an election.
The outcome of all this, it is to be hoped, will be an improvement in the quality of coverage, but also a clear understanding on the part of everyone involved of the distinction between those aspects of election coverage that are under the editorial control of the media - news, current affairs, debates etc - and those that are not, including advertising, direct access slots and most forms of voter education.
