SECOND MEDIA MONITORING REPORT (2ND TO 22 APRIL 2014)

OF THE 2014 MALAWI TRIPARTITE ELECTIONS

1.0 INTRODUCTION

This is the second media report of the IWPR/USAID/DFID Media Monitoring Project. It covers the period 2nd -22nd April 2014. This report includes outputs of thirteen radio stations (including the two state radio stations), two television stations, two newspaper groups, seven news websites, five Facebook groups and Twitter. In total 4,371news items were collected and analysed from the various media.

The issues under investigation and methodology remain the same.

2.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

2.1 Radio

13 radio stations were monitored during this period: MBC 1 & 2, Power 101, Capital FM, Galaxy, Joy, MIJ, Matindi, Islam, Zodiak, Star, Ufulu and Maria. 1783 news items were collected and analysed.

Coverage of Tripartite Elections
Coverage patterns are similar to those noted in the 1st Media Monitoring Report (22nd March-2nd April). Local Government elections continued to receive the least coverage. Figure 1 below illustrates differences on the coverage of the Tripartite elections.

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FIRST MEDIA MONITORING REPORT (22 MARCH TO 2ND April 2014) OF THE 2014 MALAWI TRIPARTITE ELECTIONS

1.0 INTRODUCTION

This is the first media report of the IWPR/USAID/DFID Media Monitoring Project. It covers the period 22nd March to 2nd April 2014. It should be noted that this period did not include the output of state radio and television following the undertakings they gave to the Malawi Election Commission on 4 April 2014 that their election campaign coverage would be more even-handed than it had been in the campaign to date.

The project monitored the print, electronic and social media. It is worth noting that the latter are a first in media monitoring history (as far as is known). This report highlights the emerging issues from the media monitored for balance between Presidential, Parliamentary, Local Government elections and which party was mentioned, voice – that is, which politicians or spokespeople were quoted or heard directly in print or web or on air, which issues, excluding those devoted only to party or politician matters were covered and the extent to which news items were perceived as broadly neutral or broadly pro or anti in tone with regard to a specific party or parties. The project focused on news coverage on radio, television, newspapers and social media. We focused on news not just on the grounds of limited resources but also because research from around the world indicates that news has higher audiences and greater credibility than other aspects of media outputs.

For more details CLICK HERE.