After nearly two days of intense deliberation, an agreed Media Code of Conduct (MCC) that will serve as a guide to the conduct of media operatives and media houses during the 2015 National and Regional Elections campaign season has been signed.The 2015 MCC is an amended version of the one used during the 2011 election campaign season and reflects the changing environment and lessons learnt from previous years. The 2015 MCC was agreed to following a two-day media Forum organised by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to review the 2011 document and to improve on it.

GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally, at the signing ceremony, said that he was happy to see that media operatives were able to cast aside all partisan politics to reach an agreed position. He

reminded that media practitioners were technicians of the truth and urged that they exercise good judgment in the execution of their duties. The Chairman said that he would be happy if the GECOM Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) would not have to caution any media house during the time of operation as it would show that the media have been faithful to the MCC.
Pointing to previous elections and the work done by the MMU, he said that 2001, the first experiment with the MMU, was not a good year, but the 2006 and 2011, the media showed that they had matured based on the reports. He especially congratulated the media for the maturity displayed in face of provocation during the 2011 elections campaigning. Pointing to the 2015 document, the chairman said that he was happy that it contained a glossary of terms in the document as that will help both the monitors and the operatives in their observance of the code.
The Chairman also thanked the European Union (EU) and Canadian High Commission for their support of the electoral process and technical assistance to the Commission, and expressed confidence that this process will assist in Guyana having good elections.
Facilitator of the forum, Dr Paloma Mohamed, said that she was particularly proud of what was achieved over the two-day period and posited that it will go a long way in ensuring stability and peace during the election campaigning. The Manager of the MMU, Ms Lavern Pinto, and the staff of the MMU were also introduced to the media. Pinto, in brief remarks, said that the document is superior to the 2011 code as it attempted deal with new and emerging media. Following yesterday’s signing of the new code, a one-week period of training will be held for the monitors, who were present during the deliberations, so that they will be familiar with the clauses and what is expected. GECOM will then advise all media houses when the official monitoring will commence.

The code calls on media practitioners to, among other things, hold themselves free of any or all political control and direction, inducement, promises or threats. It also urges that every effort be made to provide factual, comprehensive, accurate, balanced and fair accounts of events in a context which give them meaning.
With regard to political activities of media functionaries, the code recognises the likelihood of charges of bias, therefore it requires these functionaries to refrain from using their programmes for promoting their political objectives.
The code further deals with the need for management support for the independence of journalists and the need for civic education in reporting. It also addressed the issue of equitable share, access and coverage of election campaigning, the use of official events for electioneering and the reporting on opinion polls.
As the 2015 MCC will be enforce after the results have been declared, it addresses the expected behaviour or the media on polling day and its relations with GECOM with regard to the announcement of the results.

The code also outlines the procedure for dealing with complaints and commits the media houses to respond promptly and responsibly to complaints of errors in reports.
The agreed 2015 MCC was signed by representatives of the state and private media including the “new media”, referring to online publishing houses, among whom were representatives of Kaieteur News, HGTV, Capitol News, 93.1 Radio, INews and IRadio, Channel 8, and LRTV Berbice, Frontline News, GINA, NCN, Guyana Chronicle and CNS Channel 6.