Media monitoring will be conducted using international methodological standards of quantitative and qualitative analysis. Media monitoring has a specific focus on the coverage of the media against principles including the right of access, allocation of coverage and balance in the mass media.
The monitoring unit will observe media coverage of the elections in order to assess:
The monitoring will cover a representative sample of broadcast and print media. The audiovisual media will be monitored daily during peak time viewing and listening throughout the period of the election. The print media will also be monitored on a daily basis.
As well as measuring the time and space allocated to political actors, parties and candidates, the media unit will also measure the tone of media coverage according to a three level scale (positive, negative and neutral) in order to assess the overall tone of the media outlets towards contestants and the different political parties.
There will be a team of local media monitors trained in quantitative analysis monitoring a representative sample of media in Zambia. The media monitoring will inform the EU EOM on the performance of the media through regular reports and it will also form part of the overall evaluation of the election process.
Media monitoring methodology
The methodology employed for the media monitoring is both quantitative and qualitative. The quantitative component of the monitoring consists of a content analysis of a representative sample of media outlets. Radio, television and newspapers will all be included in the sample and will be monitored on a daily basis.
Broadcast media
Radio and television will be monitored during peak time viewing hours and will include monitoring of all programming within this time framework. The programmes will be timed by the monitors in order to measure the access that each candidate and political party receives on each of the channels. Furthermore, quantifying the amount of coverage each candidate receives will be complemented with an assessment of the tone of the coverage received based on a scale of negative, neutral and positive. The monitoring will also assess balance and tone of news and current affairs programmes to assess the extent to which they provide adequate and balanced coverage of candidates.
Newspapers will be monitored daily to assess the coverage of candidates and parties standing for election. As is the case with broadcast media the tone, access and balance of coverage will be assessed during the media monitoring.
Zambia
country profile and political background
