The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) released its new book on the media’s reporting of elections in Asia on World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2021 through an online discussion forum.

The book “Media Reporting of Elections in Asia: Issues, Challenges and Lessons” gathers the experience of journalists in Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.

Together with partner organizations Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA), Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI), Free Expression Myanmar (FEM), Hong Kong Election Observation Project (HKEOP), and Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS, India) as well as individual partners, journalists Ms. Ratna Ariyanti of Indonesia and Mr. Zayar Hlaing of Myanmar, the book identifies the issues and challenges that the media encounter in the course of their reporting of the elections as well as the lessons and possible best practices in navigating pitfalls and roadblocks in the media’s coverage of elections.

Through this project, ANFREL seeks to shed light into the plight of journalists and media workers and the role they play in strengthening and protecting democracy and human rights.

ANFREL hopes the book would provide the media and civil society groups helpful insights on the issues and challenges the media encounter during elections as well as points of improvement and intervention for future media development programs.

ANFREL has implemented various programs that improve the engagement of stakeholders in elections including civil society organizations and the media. Recently, ANFREL published a media toolkit on election reporting for journalists in Myanmar ahead of the 2020 polls. ANFREL also conducted a series of workshops for Myanmar journalists in election reporting.

The publication of this book would not have been possible without the generous support of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.

Download the book here: “Media Reporting of Elections in Asia: Issues, Challenges and Lessons” | Myanmar language version