With the aim of reminding television broadcasters to comply with laws and avoid citing erroneous vote counts or other mistakes in their reporting of the vote tallying process, the NCC held a post-election conference with the television industry titled “Vote Tallying Based on Facts” on December 15, 2022. Trade unions/associations, television businesses, and the Central Election Commission (CEC) were invited to attend the conference, during which representatives from network television stations and news channels shared their SOPs for reporting on the vote tallying during the 2022 local elections held on November 26. Key topics included the number of vote counters hired, which polling stations they are assigned to, as well as the internal monitoring and auditing procedures in place. The conference provided the NCC with valuable insights into possible improvements that may be implemented by news channels in future elections.

News reports and programs produced by the broadcasting industry are important sources of information regarding elections, and they hold great influence over public opinion, the rights of voters, and the people’s right to know. This conference created a three-way communication channel between the industry, the industry oversight body, and the central election authority to urge television channel operators to reinforce their internal editorial and monitoring mechanisms so as to impart fast and accurate reporting on vote tallying.