Islamabad - The participants of a training workshop on Wednesday said that impartial and objective reporting by both print and electronic media is mandatory for safeguarding transparency of upcoming general elections in the country.

 They said that media has to play its role for protecting democracy and for flourishing democratic values. Media needs to inform citizens about the elections, the political parties and candidates and their manifesto, policies and previous electoral participation so that the citizens may be able to vote for the right candidate. They said this at a three-day training workshop on Election Reporting organized by Individualland Pakistan at a local hotel. Media persons from both print and electronic media attended the workshop and some senior journalists also spoke on the occasion about the role of media and basic concepts of election reporting. 

 Additional Director General Gender Affairs Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Nighat Siddique, Amir Khan Goraya, Programme director Tabeer and William Middleton, British Political Counselor also spoke on the occasion. They said that social media is the ultimate equalizer.

It gives a voice and a platform to anyone willing to engage and also plays an important role in the election process, the participants further said. Individual land Pakistan a research based advocacy group, focusing on promoting and strengthening democratic procedures and enhancing the role of citizens in governance recently started working on an initiative ‘Engaging Journalists on elections reporting, civic education and political processes’.