NIEBC Trains Journalists to Safeguard Media Ethics Ahead of Banadir Elections

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: The National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) launched a targeted training programme on Tuesday for nearly 90 journalists, aiming to strengthen ethical reporting and support a credible media environment ahead of the upcoming local elections in Banadir region.

The workshop, inaugurated by the commission’s chairman Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan,  is designed to prepare journalists covering the Banadir local council elections scheduled for December 25.

The initiative is being implemented in partnership with the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ).

Organisers said the training will help reduce misinformation, promote balanced coverage, and ensure the media plays a constructive role during the sensitive election period. Participants are being briefed on professional standards, election-related regulations, and responsible reporting practices.

NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman said the programme reinforces journalists’ commitment to accuracy and impartiality, adding that professional media conduct is critical to public trust and peaceful polls.

Hassan told participants that the commission is ready to support journalists in carrying out their duties, stressing that ethical and well-informed reporting is essential for voters to make informed choices.

The training forms part of broader preparations by Somali authorities to deliver transparent and orderly elections in Mogadishu, as the country advances toward direct voting after decades of indirect political processes.