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The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) has warned broadcasters against airing speculative election results, campaign interviews and predictions of electoral outcomes as Zambia heads to the polls tomorrow.
IBA Director-General, Webster Malido, said broadcasters must strictly adhere to the 2026 Election Coverage Guidelines and ensure that election-related information was accurate, balanced, fair and properly verified.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka on Tuesday at the IBA offices, Malido said broadcasters should not announce projected or unofficial election results, stressing that results should only be broadcast after being officially announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).
“Election results should only be broadcast once they have been officially announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia,” he said.
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He said broadcasters could provide updates on voting, counting and tallying but should not present information from unofficial sources as confirmed results.
Malido also cautioned stations against relying on information circulating on social media, political actors, commentators and other unverified sources.
“The overriding objective is to ensure that the public receives accurate and reliable information,” he said.
He reminded broadcasters that campaign interviews featuring political parties or independent candidates should not be aired on polling day.
Malido further said broadcasters should refrain from airing predictions of election outcomes and should not broadcast new opinion poll results before the close of polling.
He said any polls aired within the period permitted by the guidelines must include details such as the source, sponsor, date, margin of error, population surveyed and sample size.
The IBA director general urged broadcasters to provide fair and equitable coverage to all political parties and candidates while maintaining impartiality in news reports and interviews.
He said stations must clearly distinguish between factual reporting and opinion and avoid content that promotes hate speech, tribalism, violence, character assassination or unverified information.
Meanwhile, Malido said complaints concerning election coverage should first be submitted to the broadcaster concerned, which is required to respond within two days during the election period.
Where a complainant receives no response or was dissatisfied with the response, the matter may be escalated to the IBA for investigation and possible action.
He said the authority would continue monitoring election-related broadcasts throughout the electoral period.
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