Of course, in this regard, it is necessary to create certain conditions for media representatives. It can be viewed as:

-Freedom of speech and press. The mass media should be free to provide information about the elections without restriction or censorship.

-Protection from threats and violence. The media must investigate and report events without fear of threats or violence.

-Freedom of movement. Journalists should cover election campaigns of candidates and freely observe the activities of regional election management bodies.

- Opportunity (friendship). Journalists should meet election commissions, polling stations, candidates and voters and obtain information about them.

- Equal treatment. All public and private media should be treated equally.

The right to freedom of expression in international documents

The right to freedom of expression is protected by the following documents. 

- Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

- Article 19 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

- Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 11 of the CIS Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms;

- Article 13 of the Convention on Electoral Rights and Freedoms in the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

In the joint declaration "On Freedom of Expression and Elections in the Age of Digital Technologies", the mass media, in cases where the circumstances require it during the elections, including equal opportunities for candidates and parties to communicate with the public, platforms for organizing political debates and elections It has been noted that it has a special place in providing impartial and reliable information on related issues.

The media are equally protected as international observers. For example, in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a representative for media freedom works.

It monitors the state of media freedom in all 55 OSCE member states and monitors compliance with the principles and obligations regarding freedom of expression and freedom of the media.

In Uzbekistan, there are the following legal documents aimed at regulating the field of information, information search, acquisition, distribution and other ways of using it.

- Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

- Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Information";

- Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Mass Media";

- Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Principles and Guarantees of Freedom of Information";

- Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Guarantees and Freedom of Information";

- Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On protection of journalistic activities";

- Election Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Accreditation is the initial step of cooperation with media

Countries holding elections start their cooperation with mass media mainly by accrediting it. Accredited media representatives will have the right to freely cover all election campaign events.

It can be observed that about a thousand mass media representatives participated in the elections held in the CIS member countries. For example, on September 19, 2021, an Information Center was established for journalists during the elections to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. 1372 mass media representatives from 21 countries of the world were accredited to carry out their activities in the center. At the same time, representatives of 40 foreign mass media directly received information about voting processes at the Central Election Commission of Russia. 

More than 1,400 mass media representatives were accredited by the Central Election Commission in polling stations, and more than 13,000 journalists were accredited in order to carry out their activities in the regions.

Also, about 100 international journalists from 11 countries of the world took part in covering the election of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic. The presidential election was covered by more than 200 local media representatives, and the referendum by more than 50.

During the presidential elections held in Uzbekistan, 1,672 representatives of major mass media of local and foreign countries directly observed and covered.

When does a journalist become an astute observer and a good analyst?

Of course, this question can be answered in different ways. But first, before the start of the election campaign, he should carefully read the election code and regulatory legal documents related to the election. Also, he should familiarize himself with the list of candidates and the socio-political content of their pre-election program and prepare thoroughly.

As stated in the "Declaration of Principles of Conduct of Journalists", respecting the truth and society's right to know the truth is the main duty of a journalist. A journalist is obliged to transmit only verified facts, which he is sure are correct, and to use only honest methods to obtain information, photos and documents.

According to the recommendation of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), "A journalist should not even sit in a politician's car - this may have a negative effect on the level of trust in him."

For information, the International Federation of Journalists is the world's largest organization of professional media workers, headquartered in Brussels. This organization, which was founded in 1926, now covers about 600,000 journalists from more than 139 countries of the world.

Impartial coverage of elections increases transparency. Prevents fraudulent situations and violations of the voting process that may occur in the election process. Transparency also helps improve the electoral process. In particular, the problems and shortcomings identified by the journalist will be brought to the attention of the election organizers, as well as the general public. As a result, the existing problem is studied and the action to eliminate it begins.   

The material used the book "Freedom of Speech, Opinion and Information: International Legal Basis", as well as the recommendations of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Ravshan BURKHAN