Presidential election: NCC drums respect of fairness, transparency in reporting.

This was during a press conference held to outline key guidelines for professional, responsible and balanced media coverage of the upcoming election. 

Chebongkeng stressed that during campaigns, the demand for diversity in political reporting increases significantly and journalists must ensure that the public and the electorate are well informed, so as not to distort their understanding or influence their choices.

“For the specific case of the presidential election on 12 October, the National Communication Council wishes to reiterate that the work of the media must conform to four essential principles of equality, fairness, transparency, and pluralism,” he said.

He added that the concepts of transparency, pluralism, and balance must carry greater weight in the work of the journalist.

“Under the Presidential Decree of 23 January 2012, the Council is specifically tasked with ensuring these principles are respected by all media professionals and not just public service media,” Chebongkeng said. 

Stressing on the four principles to be followed by media professionals, the NCC boss described the principle of equality as a cornerstone of the democratic process.

He said fairness demands just and impartial treatment of candidates or their representatives across all media while transparency obliges media organisations and journalists to clearly distinguish between what is news and what is advertising or electoral propaganda.

The NCC boss said pluralism requires that the media to account for the diversity of thought, social groups, and gender in their reporting. 

Suspension of political programmes

He said during an election period, “the role of the media is of strategic importance, serving as channels for information, civic education, and citizen engagement”.

He said the manner in which the media covers the electoral process can either “calm or exacerbate tensions”. 

He insisted that upholding the “four principles and professionalism is not only a moral imperative but also a regulatory requirement for the stability and credibility of our democratic process”.

He said media access during an election period in Cameroon is governed by two main legal instruments.

“Before each campaign, the Minister of Communication signs two orders specifying the airtime allocated to candidates and the modalities for their communication. Article 9, paragraph 2 of this decree specifies that political programmes shall be suspended for the duration of the electoral campaign to make way exclusively for official campaign broadcasts, where equal airtime is distinctly allocated to each candidate or party, and for electoral information programmes,” he said.

Chebongkeng added that Decree No. 2012/038 of 23 January 2012, Article 11, paragraphs 1 and 2 stipulate that the Council shall sit in permanent session during the electoral campaign period in order to ensure that the principle of equal or fair access of political parties, candidates or their representatives to public media is respected.

“Based on the provisions of these two instruments, all audiovisual media organs, both public and private, are instructed to suspend all other political programmes for the duration of the election campaign,” he said.

Role of journalists…

He reiterated that during an election period, journalists have a vital role to play in satisfying the public's right to information. 

“…this includes providing citizens with complete, honest, and accurate information, giving a voice to the different candidates or their representatives, reporting on the electoral process, analysing the key issues at stake, and observing the conduct of the vote and any potential irregularities,” he said. 

“You are bound by existing regulations and the professional standards of your trade to respect several key directives which includes duty to inform, adherence to rules on media coverage, and the defence of freedom of expression during the election period,” he added.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3579 of Monday September 29, 2025