Journalists covering the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election have been urged to focus on issue-based reporting to help voters make informed decisions ahead of the poll.
The charge was given during a two-day Media and Election Stakeholders’ Interaction on Credible Polls in Osun State, organised by the International Press Centre, IPC, in Osogbo on Wednesday.
The IPC said the programme was designed to bring together journalists, electoral officials, security agencies and civil society organisations to strengthen collaboration for a transparent, peaceful and credible electoral process.
Speaking at the event, IPC Programme Officer, Stella Nwofia, said the workshop was organised to deepen democracy in Osun State.
A lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication at Fountain University, Osogbo, Dr Rasheed Adebiyi, urged journalists to give greater attention to reports centred on policies, governance and political manifestos rather than personality-driven political coverage.
He encouraged media practitioners to move beyond what he described as the political economy of news by examining issues that directly affect the welfare of the people and assisting voters to make informed electoral choices.
According to Adebiyi, “journalism should not be driven solely by commercial interests but should also promote public good and meaningful societal impact through responsible reporting.”
He advised journalists to scrutinise the records, promises and performance of political parties and their candidates while setting the public agenda through factual and balanced reporting capable of strengthening democratic governance.
“I charge you to prioritise issue-based reports. The contents you push out will go a long way in helping voters to make the right choices. Undertake development stories about good governance, governance failures, policy assessment and long-term developmental priorities.
“Don’t let this coming election in Osun be like that of Ekiti where many do not know candidates who contested with Governor Oyebamiji. Lead the public in deeper thinking about the candidates,” Adebiyi said.
Also speaking, the Director of Journalism Clinic, Lagos, Taiwo Obe, urged journalists to improve their analytical skills and embrace Artificial Intelligence as well as other digital tools to produce quality and engaging election reports.
Obe also encouraged media professionals to bridge the information gap for citizens, uphold responsible journalism, safeguard their personal safety while covering elections, combat fake news and misinformation, and strengthen collaboration among stakeholders to support a peaceful electoral process.
