The quality criteria used in the Yearbook 2020 are derived from journalism theory, journalistic practice, and researches on media coverage of elections. They are:
| Aspect of Journalism | Quality Criteria - What to look for |
|---|---|
| Context of reporting | • This criterion looks at events or statements that have triggered the election reporting. • It further looks at whether journalists’ go beyond reporting events and gather their own election stories. • This criterion helps to uncover two things: first, the share of reportage among political parties, and second the share of event-based stories vs. Media own initiated stories. |
| Sourcing | Having at least two or more sources in each journalistic unit (in a story) is especially important in election reporting. This allows journalists to provide different viewpoints or more comprehensive information for voters to help them make an informed voting decision. Additionally, it helps to identify voices (=sources) from different actors, including the ordinary citizens, who are in most cases neglected. |
| Diversity of candidates’ coverage | In the presidential elections (Union and Zanzibar), we pre-selected five and three main candidates, respectively, and analysed their proportionate coverage by the media. This is the first step to discover balance or imbalance (bias) in reportage. In Bunge, ZHoR and councillor elections, we did not look at specific candidates (because there were many) and instead we analysed the coverage of their nominating political parties. This is also to reveal potential bias |
| Diversity of topics/subject | This criterion looks at the election-related topics and the issue topics in media units (different stories). This delivers a profile of the media houses in terms of topical coverage orientation such as inclination towards politics, development, economics, or other issues. |
| Coverage of content of (new) policy | Media need to inform voters about the candidates’ policies for the future. Good quality means the content of policy plays a significant role in reporting. |
| Reference to party manifesto | Referring to candidates’ party manifesto is essential in election reporting as it informs voters which programme is behind those candidates. Journalists ought to capture this. |
| Feasibility of future policies | During elections, candidates offer promises to voters. It is, therefore, the media’s role to question and ask whether those policies are feasible in terms of practical implementation and financing. It is a reality check for promises. This criterion analyses whether media cover this aspect as candidates do not question themselves. |
| Existence of viewpoints | : Media ought to provide fairly balanced viewpoints, both in favour and against candidates, as they look for sources that provide those viewpoints. This provision is essential as it empowers voters to know candidates and parties and thereby vote wisely. |
| Personality vs. policy | Candidates’ personality and policy play a role in the election, albeit with different weights. |