Journalists, parliamentarians discuss enhanced media coverage proceedings |19 May 2015

The parliament and the local media have come together for a two-day workshop under the theme ‘Enhancing Media Coverage of Parliamentary Proceedings’.

Australian Andres Lomp, the communications and public management manager of the Parliament of Victoria, in Australia, and Englishman Tim Fenton, a journalist, journalism educator and news media consultant who has also worked as a BBC parliamentary correspondent, led the discussions.

Addressing the guests at yesterday’s opening ceremony held in the lobby of the National Assembly, Seychelles Media Commission chief executive Ibrahim Afif said “debates, discussions and comments on the relationship between the parliament and the media are nothing new.”

“The media is one of the most important actors involved in helping the public enjoy its ‘right to know’. Along with parliament, the media shares a responsibility to contribute to political, economic and social development in ways consistent with democratic principles by pursuing fact-based, fully substantiated reporting. Parliament should do all it can to protect a free and independent media, as the presence of the media is vital for a functioning democracy, transparency and good governance,” added Mr Afif.

He noted that a good working relationship between parliamentarians and journalists is essential if both are to fulfill their duties.
“The key is to build a strong professional relationship between both groups that is based on mutual respect and recognition that both are essential actors in a working democracy,” explained Mr Afif who added that the present set of guidelines produced by the National Assembly should be revisited.

“For this exercise, both the media and the assembly should get together and produce a new set of guidelines by mutual consent,” he said.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Patrick Herminie, stated in his remarks that “our parliament has proven its willingness and commitment to continually support the media, long established as the fourth estate and recognised the world over as the feedback mechanism of democratic system management.”

He added: “Today’s event marks yet another milestone in the strengthening of our relationship. This workshop is also testimony of our commitment to build an informed society, for we recognise and appreciate the media as the general public’s primary educator. We realise that the task is daunting given the complexity, multiplicity and divergence of views of a social, economic and political nature that are exchanged in the House. A fair and balanced reporting of proceedings will serve to empower our people, thereby sustaining our fledgling and vibrant democracy.”

The Speaker further added that “while it is true that parliament and parliamentarians, as representatives of the people, possess ultimate legitimacy, it is also true that the media decisively assists the community in deciding whether to support a candidate in the first place and whether to renew their representative’s mandate at the following election. The media could assist the community in their decision by providing the public with information about the actions and opinions of parliamentarians.”

Mr Lomp helped those who took part in the workshop examine the current relationship between parliament and the media. They also discussed ‘parliament from a media perspective’ and considered the way in which the media perceives its relationship with parliament. Another topic of discussion is ‘understanding parliamentary privilege’.

“Parliamentary privilege is a vital element of the protections that exist to ensure that parliament is the bastion of free speech in democratic society and that members of parliament can undertake their work freely and independently,” explained Mr Lomp.

The training is specifically highlighting the importance of ethics when covering parliament and working with MPs and how to handle possible situations of corruption.

Also being discussed are the role of parliament’s administrative and communications services: training cover how journalists should interact with parliament, understanding how press services works, how to use media centres and library services, how to get around the parliament, one’s rights and responsibilities as an accredited journalist, understanding the pressures on parliamentarians and the role of the parliament press service; journalism techniques specifically adapted to parliamentary coverage: how to ensure coverage of complex issues so that they are understood by the greater public and how they are related to daily life, the importance of networking, how to organise one’s time in relation to the agenda and scheduled debates, relations with other journalists, communicating with one’s editors, following debates and taking notes, identifying key speakers and issues, carrying out interviews with MPs, producing stories through various formats over the course of the day, and archiving.

Journalists’ behaviour and conduct at parliament, draft roadmap or guidelines and the ethics of relations with members of parliament. Journalists are learning how to interact and communicate with MPs and how to gain their trust, what should and should not be broadcast, the limits of connections between journalists and politicians, and how to handle gifts and other favours.

The training is specifically highlighting the importance of ethics when covering parliament and working with MPs and how to handle possible situations of corruption.
This is a follow-up of last year’s workshop held under the theme ‘Parliament and the Media’.