Malawi Electoral Commission salutes Nyasa Times: ‘It’s professional on-line media’
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) said on Friday it is impressed the way Nyasa Times discharges its duties and it has called on other media organizations to borrow a leaf if the 2014 tripartite elections are to be credible.
MEC’s Deputy Chief elections officer (DCEO) responsible for Operations Harris Potani was speaking in Mzuzu when he presided over the media code of conduct 2014 tripartite elections reporting signing ceremony for Nyasa Times. Other beneficiaries included the Media Corp Limited, Voice and Maravi Post.
“We had reservations with Nyasa Times (Malawi’s pace setter online media house) hence we omitted them on the list of signing last June but we realized that these guys are professionals as they play a critical role in the way democratic governance is run in our country, forcing our u-turn,” Potani told journalists at the close of the three-day elections reporting workshop.
Potani appealed to Nyasa Times and other media organizations to continue publishing credible stories about elections, saying Malawi’s future to making informed decisions in the choice of good leaders is in their hands.
On his part, the workshop’s lead facilitator Dr. Levi Zeleza Manda challenged the journalists to stick to what they have honed if they are to remain professionals and continue attracting trust from the readers .
Speaking when he received the media code of ethics for reporting the 2014 elections, Nyasa Times Sub- editor Lucky Mkandawire hailed MEC for finally recognizing their work as credible saying the gesture will go along way in motivating them.
Meanwhile, Media Corp project’s director Bright Sonani (formery of The Nation newspaper) said they will abide by the ethics.
