The Huffington Post, founded as a news agregator and blog platform in the US in 2005, gave it a try and entered the market. Launched in June 2013, its Maghreb edition has quickly gained a reputation among users, not only for doing things differently compared to other Huffington Post editions, but for also being different to other online media in North Africa. Covering mainly Tunisia at the moment, the young team is planning to expand its coverage to Algeria and Morocco soon.

What is probably most striking when you look at the website is the “most read” section. Rather than lifestyle, food and fashion in other HuffPost editions, in the Maghreb version you’ll find politics, politics, and more politics. “We’re different from other Huffington Posts because the context is different,” explains editor-in-chief Houeida Anouar. “Every edition is free to take from the HuffPost DNA what it likes and to adapt it to its needs.”

Hence, the Tunisian team decided to put its focus on politics.

Don’t forget the context

In a country where politics is at the center of debate, Tunisians enjoy the newly gained freedom of open discussion in the media. But it’s easy to overdose on the daily quarrels among parties and politicians, rumors and hysteria, while the country is stuck in a deepening political and economic crisis.

In this complex situation, Anouar says, “We are factual and analytical, but we also try to give a lot of attention to context.” While journalists and activists are glued to their screens, the average user is not and easily looses track. “It is very important to explain and give background. When things become complicated and events unfold rapidly, we tend to step back a bit,” she says.

This can mean for example to summarize the most important events of the political crisis in a slideshow, with videos, photos and short explanatory texts that link back to longer articles for those looking for additional information.

“People can take the train when it is already running,” as Houeida Anouar puts it. Live blogging ongoing events is another option to show how things develop over time. This helps not only Tunisians but also foreigners who are interested in the country but who often have difficulties to keep track of what is going on as many Tunisian media only publish very brief articles with little background, which make it difficult to see the big picture.

One of the big challenges for journalists in Tunisia is verifying information. While social media played an important role in accelerating the uprising and spreading information quickly, the flipside is that rumors can also go “viral” rapidly, and are spread both by social and traditional media. “We have a lot of noise compared to signal. Sometimes it takes you days to verify an information,” says Anouar.

Not to publish information that is buzzing on other websites can be a costly business decision, but Anouar insists that it is a necessary one and often a better choice to have less clicks but hard facts. “We don’t play with this. It is easy to share rumors, but we have respect for the readers.”

Use social media responsibly and consciously

But being critical and not following every buzz does not mean ignoring what is happening on the net – especially on social media, which has developed into one of the most important means of information for many young citizens in the Maghreb. Where there is no clear separation of social media and journalism anymore, the challenge is to identify those who are reliable. “There are very attentive people out there who might know things before you and before it is picked up by the media,” says Anouar. Having a close look at these people is essential, she adds.

In a lot of articles on the website, you will also find tweets or content from Facebook embedded. It is often deputies of the Constituent Assembly, experts and citizens having heated discussions. Anouar argues, “The political conversation not only happens in parliament anymore. We witness an extension of politics into social media, so why should this narrative not be represented in the article?”

Don’t be overly serious

When the Huffington Post launched the Maghreb edition, they promised to inform readers, but also to make them smile. “We keep doing the traditional stuff, but we also try to have fun,” says Anouar. When the head of the Tunisian Human Rights League spoke at the opening of the National Dialogue, an initiative to lead the country out of the crisis, his Freudian slip of speaking of the National Donkey rather than the National Dialogue (himar instead of hiwar in Arabic) became a big hit. A topic for the politics section? “Giving a moment of comic relief is important – we could have just skipped it, and if we were a purely political journal we would have, but we are not,” Anouar explains. When people started writing “Ennahdha get lost” (the main ruling party) on banknotes, this was also taken up as well.

Whereas as the other HuffPost editions feature opinion pieces in the news section, the Maghreb edition limits them to the blog section. As Anouar explains, “Because the media landscape in Tunisia is already saturated with opinion.”

“We value opinion, it is important that people can express their point of view. But we wanted to keep the line clear, and even keep them physically separated on the website.”

The blog section is also an option for the editorial team to fight prejudices resulting from the fact have that the HuffPost is based on an American model and written in French, rather than Arabic. The blog therefore features contributions from left wing civil society actors, artists, different politicians as well as conservative politicians and even a Salafist blogger.

Author: Sarah Mersch

DO be responsible when reporting incidents of violence
It is important to inform people about violent incidents, but you need to do so in a responsible way. Following the 2007 elections in Kenya, the local media was criticized for further inflaming violence.
– Always verify facts before reporting: Where exactly did the incident take place? Who was involved? How many people were involved? Were people killed or injured? What triggered the incident?
– Try to find several sources of information (witnesses, journalists on location, police, army, doctors at the local hospital). Name your sources in the report (and don’t rely on SMS messages from people at the scene who aren’t considered reliable sources!)
– Try to get comments on the violence from people from different ethnic groups and different sides of the political spectrum (but do not air calls for retaliation or more violence)
– Don’t use emotional language or comment on the incident yourself
– Local language stations may be criticized for their neutral broadcasting as they are often expected to share community views. Explain your reasons for being neutral on air

DO take care when reading out SMS messages
Many radio and television stations read out SMS messages or have an SMS ticker. These might represent people’s opinions about the elections or results, but hateful messages have no place on air. Also, be balanced by reading out messages from diverse areas, or from people supporting different parties or groups.

DO cut off callers using hate speech on air
Talkback radio gives people the opportunity to be heard. Plus it’s a lively and cheap way to get diverse opinions on air. But hosts need to be extremely careful that their show doesn’t inflame tensions.
– Cut off callers (and politicians) who use hate speech, ethnic baiting or call for violence
– Explain to the listeners that cutting off such callers is in line with station’s policy and your radio won’t support violent talk (so that you don’t seemed biased)
– Ask listeners to call in with their comments about hate speech
– While some stations argue that airing inflammatory language is good for ratings, the risk of conflict in this post-election period is just too high. Responsibility comes before ratings!

A Sierra Leonean journalist collects peace messages from a gang member

DO prepare messages of peace
If you live in a country with a history of conflict, peace messages, songs and jingles featuring prominent individuals (imams, priests, musicians, movie stars, sports stars, even gangster groups who have promised not to stir up trouble) can go far to calm tensions. Alternatively, ask children for messages of peace. Another idea is to get different groups of people, such as the elderly, market women, or school children, to sing the national anthem (or another song associated with national pride) and play the different versions together with peace messages

DO continue to monitor the counting
Just because the polling day is over, it doesn’t mean that the media’s watchdog role is finished. Things to check:
– Can observers, the media and nominated political party representatives freely enter all tally centers (including at local, district and and regional levels)?
– Do the centers have adequate lighting and security?
– Is the counting taking longer than normal? Why?

DO put the results in context
When the results are finally announced …
– Seek comments from the winners and losers
– Mention the final turnout figure
– Get some reactions from a diverse cross section of people on the street.
– Add some independent analysts and comments from international and domestic observers

DO analyze the results
Your job isn’t over when the results are announced.
– How much did someone win by? Who mainly voted for them (male, female, old young, a particular ethnic group)? Has this changed since the last elections.
– What percentage of people voted? Were there particular groups who didn’t vote? Why? Has this changed from the last elections?
– How many invalid votes where there? Where their regions with more invalid votes? How does this compare to last election?
– What are the country’s prospects under the elected leadership in various fields, such as the economy, law and internal security?

DON’T broadcast political press releases about vote rigging without context
Politicians who have lost the vote (or look like loosing) often favor the strategy of putting out a press release alleging the elections were rigged (which may or may not be true). Don’t just read out the whole press release on air. Rather
– Summarize the allegations using neutral language
– Add information from independent election monitors
– Seek a comment on the allegations from the electoral commission. If they say they will address the comments a later press conference, mention this in your reporting

DON’T forget to continue to monitor the government
As an election reporter, you have a sound grasp of what promises the new government made during its campaign so you are ideally placed to follow up whether its living up to those promises.

For more information, check out UNESCO’s list of online election reporting resources as well as the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network, which is an amazing source information about elections and electoral systems worldwide.

I also highly recommend the “Media & Elections” handbook as well as the “Election Reporting Handbook” by the International Journalist Federation

DO be familiar with the election process
It might sound obvious, but as a reporter, you need need to know the ins and outs of the election process because otherwise you can’t effectively monitor the elections and report on any problems and misconduct. Some of the things you need to know BEFORE you go out to report on election day include:
– What is the procedure for opening the ballot station?
– What are the rules about campaign materials and canvassing near polling stations?
– What steps do voters have to go through to cast their votes?
– What is the procedure for sealing ballot boxes when voting closes?
– Where does the vote counting take place and who is entitled to accompany the ballot boxes there?
– Who is allowed to be present while votes are counted?
– How does the vote counting work exactly?

DO be at the polling station before it opens
If you have been allocated a particular polling station or district, you need to be there before the doors open. It gives you time to assess the atmosphere and talk to some people before you make your first report.
– Check if polling officials have arrived at the prescribed time
– Check if campaign material has been removed from inside the prescribed area around the polling station
– Ask people if they have been intimidated on the way to the polling station or while they are standing in line
– Ask if people have been promised anything such as food or money for their vote
– Find out if people were able to travel easily to the polling station: are roads open, are there any impediments such as a collapsed bridge or military checkpoints making the journey to the polling booth longer?
– Talk to any physically disabled people, the elderly or pregnant women in queue about how they got to the polling station and if there were any special provisions available for their transport
– Ask what time people started queuing up and why they are making the effort to vote

In Sierra Leone, election officials at one polling station tried unsuccessfully to use this ‘training’ ballot box

DO monitor the opening of the polling station
Depending on your country’s procedure for opening the polling station, there are several important points to look for here:
– Check if there are the correct number of ballot boxes (I have been at a polling booth where there should have been four ballot boxes – one each for president, parliamentarian, mayor and councilor – but one was missing, causing an extremely tense situation)
– Check if the ballot boxes are the correct ones for use in the elections, for example, do they have a serial number on them which allows the box to be traced in case of irregular voting
– Watch while ALL of the ballot boxes are opened in front of those present to show they are empty
– Monitor whether ALL the ballot boxes are correctly signed and sealed before voting starts
– Report whether the polling station opens on time
– Report whether election observers are present
– Watch who are the first to vote – are pregnant women, the elderly and the disabled allowed to go to the front of the queue?
– Observe if people are able to cast their vote in secrecy

These two elderly women are angry about polling day delays. It’s hot and they’re tired, they say

DO keep talking to people during the day
You might have been up since four in the morning and feel like you have talked to every possible group of people at the polling station, but it is important to keep alert and keep monitoring the voting process even if everything seems to be running smoothly.
– Find out if any people are leaving without casting their vote because they are fed up of waiting
– Ask if there are any people who are unable to vote because their name isn’t on the electoral roll
– Monitor whether there are enough ballot papers
– Look for any illegal canvassing
– Ask people of various ages and backgrounds how they feel about voting in the election (but DON’T ask them who they voted for!)
– Ask if people how they found the voting process (easy, confusing …. )
This can also be a good time to collect some human interest stories. Here a couple I have found during the slow period on an election day:

A blind man who had to trust the person accompanying to vote for who he wanted because he was unable to read the ballot paper himself

An 94-year-old woman who talked entertainingly about how voting had changed over the decades – she cast her first vote by putting a marble into a certain jar and now she had a biometric voting card and a ballot paper.

DO stay for the close of polls
Things to look for as the polling station closes:
– Monitor if voters are being turned away at closing time without being allowed to vote even if they are still queued up
– Does the polling station close on time / close early / stay open beyond closing time even if no one is left in line?
– Observe if the ballot boxes are properly sealed before being taken to be counted
– Watch if the counting is going smoothly
– Check if observers are monitoring the counting process
– Report if there are any counting difficulties – I have observed ballot counting where the generators have run out of fuel and counting has continued by candlelight, making it difficult to see the ballot papers and difficult to check for any wrongdoings

People are glued to the radio throughout polling day, so what you say matters!

DON’T discuss campaign issues on air while the polls are open
In many countries, parties must cease campaigning a day or two before election day. If you continue to discuss campaign issues while people are still voting, you and your media outlet could be construed as influencing the ballot. Not only is this against many media codes of practice, it could also exacerbate any tension. On election day, stick to your job of monitoring the elections and giving people a chance to voice their feelings about how the election process is going.

DON’T broadcast any comments about politicians or parties
Your job on election day is to be a neutral observer. Don’t run the risk of sparking violence by airing comments (negative or positive) about any particular party or politician. Even if someone is just giving vent to their anger about how disorganized the elections are and criticizing the current government for this, you should not air it (even if it is true).

DON’T make predictions about the outcome before the close of the polls
This is particularly dangerous. Firstly, you could influence the outcome of the elections as people might think that their preferred party has lost anyway and so change how they vote. Secondly, if the actual result differs from your predictions, it could spark conflict and violence. Just don’t do it!

DON’T make predictions about the results of voting irregularities
Although your job is to report any problems or irregularities on polling day, you can not predict what will happen as a results of these irregularities. In some countries, it is the extent of the vote tampering which is important. For example, if votes from a particular station or even a whole district are annulled, it might not change the overall results of a presidential election where millions of people are voting. In this situation, even if hundreds of polling stations are annulled, it might not void the whole election. It can be a different story though at local level where a handful of annulled votes can make all the difference to who gets in.

For more information, check out UNESCO’s list of online election reporting resources

I also highly recommend the Media & Elections handbook as well as the Election Reporting Handbook by the International Journalist Federation

In Part 3, Kate will take a look election reporting after polling day.

In any country, elections are the political high point of the year. Campaigns can be drawn out or seen as a forgone conclusion for an incumbent political party or leader, but they can also be violent, dividing communities and straining stability in democratically fragile countries.

The media of course can make a pivotal contribution to whether a country’s elections are free and fair. One of its main roles is to be an accurate source of information – letting voters know about the issues, the politicians and their promises and manifestos and how the electoral system works. The media also has an watchdog role in exposing any wrongdoings. In addition, the media gives voters an important forum to express their views. In the first of our three part series on election reporting, DW Akademie’s Kate Hairsine brings you some dos and don’ts of reporting in the pre-election period.

DO know the ins and outs of the electoral process
It might sound obvious but if you are covering an election, you need to be familiar with the electoral process. Otherwise you can’t properly report on any problems or electoral malpractice. Some things you should know:

– How do voters register?
– Who is restricted from registering (non-citzens, mentally ill, prison inmates?)
– What are the rules governing the registration of candidates and have all candidates seeking to stand been able to register?
– What are the rules governing campaign financing? Is there an obligation for parties to declare finances, is there a limit to political donations, or does the state finance the campaigns of political parties?
– Where are the boundaries of electorates? Have they been recently altered without proper consultation?
– Who will impose penalties on parties or candidates who break the rules? Is this organization, such as an election commission, independent of the government? How is the management of this organization appointed?

DO be balanced in your reporting
Being balanced in reporting and programming means striving to include the voices of all main political parties and not simply one opinion. It means if a candidate makes an election promise, then you should seek reactions from other candidates and voters. People should especially have the right of reply to controversial statements. At times, it is impossible to avoid giving one party more coverage because of the significance of an event. But similar events by other parties should receive similar amounts of coverage.

A Liberian election reporter asks a disabled woman what she thinks is the biggest issue facing her country

DO focus on the issues, not just on the politicians
Too often, election reporting is focused on politicians and their manifestos and speeches. But instead of reporting what politicians say what they will do for the people (called top-down reporting), an alternative is to find out and report on what people want from the politicians. Known as bottom-up or voters-voice reporting, the idea is to make voters heard in elections. It is also a way to help voters understand the differences between the parties and make an informed decision on election day.
– Talk to a wide range of people in your area (male, female, young, old, educated, illiterate, wealthy, poor)
– Find out what they think are the most important issues in the election
– Ask politicians from various parties what they will do about this particular issue
– If possible, talk to neutral experts/civil society groups to find out what they think could be done to help solve the problem
The excellent handbook, Media &∓ Elections has more on the topic with some examples

DO put political rallies or speeches into context
If you are reporting on a political event or speech, don’t just report on what was said. If you do that, you are simply acting as a mouthpiece for the politician. Instead, you should include details to put the event in context:
– Report where the event was held
– Make an estimate of how many people were present
– Describe what kind of people attended: Were they male, female, young, old, workers, university educated, people from a particular village or supporters offered transport?
– Ask people about their reactions to the event or speech
– Ask those present what else they would have liked to have heard or find out what issues are important to them
– Add background information about the candidate’s track record of implementing election promises
– Seek balance in your story by asking other leaders and voter groups what they think of the speech

DO report hate speech in a responsible way
Politicians often use inflammatory language and insults to attack other candidates, parties, or ethnic groups associated with a particular party. It is important to report hate speech in a responsible way so as not to incite tensions or fan ethnic violence.
– Balance your reporting of the comments with a reaction from those who are being attacked
– Try to include reactions from people on the street to the comments (in my experience, regardless of their political persuasion, many ordinary voters are outraged by hate speech)
– Seek a statement from a respected or prominent figure (imam, priest, musician, footballer, peace advocate) calling for peace

DO look at the past record of the government and the opposition
Some journalists are afraid to analyze and criticize the record of the present government for fear of being seen as in favor of the opposition. However, it is a journalist’s role to examine the achievements of government. Has it lived up to election promises? Has the government, for example, improved roads or installed a reliable power supply as it pledged to do so? Journalists need to provide this information to help people judge whether they should vote the current government back in. Don’t forget to look at what role the opposition played in the previous term. Did they present alternative ideas and suggestions? Did opposition politicians take part in constructive debates on issues?

DON’T forget to cover the smaller parties
Many elections are dominated by two main parties who receive most of the media coverage. However, in the interests of balance, try and cover the smaller parties, some of which may be of interest to certain minority groups or important in certain regions. In addition, one of the minor parties could end up in a governing coalition or hold the balance of power in parliament.

DON’T just talk to experts
In the lead up to the elections, many journalists tend to focus on interviewing experts, such as election commission officials and chiefs of police to find out how the election organization is going. While such experts have their value, they often have a vested interest in saying everything is under control.
– Don’t forget to ask relevant civil society organizations and election watchdogs to comment on election preparations
– Even better, talk to affected groups. For example, if you are going to interview an election commission official about the organization of transport on election day, visit a disabled group beforehand and see if they have been given information about how they will get to the polling booths.
– Play the resulting vox pop or a report before your expert interview, or put this information in your article. It’s not just better journalism – it also makes for more lively programming.

While party t-shirts and clothing proliferates at election time, as a journalist, your role is to be neutral

DON’T attend party rallies or wear party colors or pins in the lead up to elections
It doesn’t matter how strongly you feel about a particular politician or party, showing your political affiliations undermines your credibility as a journalist. Many people won’t talk to a reporter who is seen as siding with a certain party. And even if your reporting isn’t biased, people won’t view you as a credible source of information because they will perceive you as biased.

DON’T broadcast rumors
In many countries without a strong independent media, rumor is unfortunately one of the main sources of information. But incorrect information can fan tension and inflame violence during the election period. Don’t add to it! Always have at least two credible sources of information before reporting something.

For more information, check out UNESCO’s list of online election reporting resources

I also recommend the “Election Reporting Handbook” by the International Journalist Federation

In Part 2, Kate will take a look election reporting on the day of the polls.∓