Challenges Faced by Media in Covering Political Parties’ Election Activities in Zambia: Digital Journalism, AI-Driven Fact-Checking and Democratic Media Accountability

Mwandamena Mangolwa, Dr. Siyumbwa Costa

Media Coverage; Elections; Political Parties; Zambia; Digital Journalism; AI Fact-Checking; Misinformation; Democratic Accountability.

A free, independent, and accountable media is foundational to democratic governance providing citizens with the information they need to make informed electoral choices, holding political parties accountable to their stated platforms, and serving as a watchdog against electoral misconduct. In Zambia, media coverage of political party election activities faces significant challenges encompassing editorial independence pressures, resource constraints, safety risks for journalists, regulatory interference, and the emerging threats of digital misinformation and social media manipulation. This article examines the challenges faced by media in covering political parties’ election activities, with reference to a case study of Kanyonyo Ward, contextualising findings within global scholarship on digital journalism, AI-driven fact-checking, algorithmic misinformation detection, and democratic media accountability. Drawing on a descriptive survey, findings identify political pressure on editorial independence, limited journalist training in election reporting, resource constraints, access restrictions, and digital misinformation propagation as primary challenges. AI-powered fact-checking tools, digital journalist safety platforms, and blockchain-enabled editorial transparency systems are identified as promising technological responses. Policy recommendations are presented.

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