| Raising the potential of journalists to cover elections |
 The program: “Raising the potential of journalists to cover elections”, Lebanese Association for the Democracy of Elections (LADE ) and Maharat Foundation, supported by Afkar and financed by the European Union. The program lasted for a year and a half (2005-2006). It resulted in the following:
-accomplishment of the election media guide
-training session for journalists
-a media pact of honor
This project aims at educating journalists on the laws, electoral regulations and the techniques of observation, focusing on international criteria and the basis and principles that organize the work of the media in covering elections in all stages. It aims, as well, at forming a network of journalists who work on the ground, with the cooperation of members of both associations and a number of academic institutions and civil associations in Lebanon, to monitor elections in an effort to guarantee their freedom, integrity and equity.
The project was implemented in three phases:
The First Phase: Preparation. In this phase a plan of action was set up with the cooperation of the two coordinating associations. Round tables were established to evaluate the former media experiences in covering elections. Difficulties were defined and recommendations presented to issue a guide for monitoring,"al-Mourakeb Media Guide" with an annex related to journalists.
The Second Phase: Execution. Training trainers for the Guide and forming a network of monitoring journalists as well as establishing training sessions in the regions and in Beirut and monitoring the elections in all its phases.
The Third Phase: Evaluation. Writing a final report on monitoring the elections as well as holding a two-day conference to evaluate the elections with representatives of the media and NGOs, academics and participants in the project and issuing recommendations to develop the monitoring work later on.
One of the project's most prominent accomplishments: an electoral media guide. The guide mentions the difficulties that the media encounter as well as the manner in which the electoral media is monitored and discusses journalists' suggestions to overcome the difficulties and activate their performance in covering elections. The booklet includes a media guide about monitoring elections and a media pact of honor which the project approved. The most crucial headlines that the media pact of honor discussed are the following: accuracy, justice, integrity, programs equity, the right of response, privacy….
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