PROJECT EVALUATION

In general, the project went well and positively accepted by media and civil society communities and achieved its objectives. There are some points that should be noted.

1.  Initially it was planned to invite 21 journalists from the provinces for the basic investigative reporting training, but 18 journalists came and attended the workshops because MIAT, Mongolian Airlines stopped their flights to some aimags and the tickets for AIROMONOLIA, private airlines were more expensive that its was budgeted.

2.  As regards the project performance, the project should have been completed by 10 October 2005, but final seminar, the publication of draft action plan and the production of TV programme delayed until 13 October 2005. The main reason is related to corruption stories, which are the main results of the investigative reporting workshops. Initially, it was planned to develop 12 investigative materials on corruption by the end of May 2005. The investigation of corruption stories was the most challenging issue for the whole period of the project and the process was delayed until the end of September 2005. But we got the stories aired on radio and published in the daily newspaper (October 3-4, 2005).

3.  The Mongolian journalists are highly self-censored, but we cannot accuse they are coward because there are serious reasons for that. We still cannot provide the names of journalists written the corruption stories due to harsh defamatory legislation. We had calls requesting to expose their names, for example the press officer of the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs was hardly trying to get the names of journalists. That is why our final message is Freedom to Journalists! The journalists have written 12 materials but the quality was different. The team Education refused to publish their 3d story and the project partners could not force them. Instead of it the team wrote the material about legal framework of media freedom.

4.  We also realized that the most of leaders of Mongolian media are not fully committed to make their outlets as fighters against corruption. They are aware of the impacts of corruption, but they see the media campaigns as possibilities of generating income. They had been promising to run the efficient media campaign during the editors' sessions, but their attitude has been changed after they have found out the project is not planning to pay for the campaigns. Mongolian TV channels were demanding to pay for the TV programmes and we paid for 2 programmes in the cheapest rate. Mongolian National TV has required us to pay 1,800, 000 MNT for 20 minute programme. We also paid for the A4 newspaper publication. According to the content analysis results only 210 news on corruption issues covered by 4 TV channels for the period of 9.5 months (January 1,2004- September 25,2005). They even charge for the news. TV channels not participate in the contest for the best anti-corruption media campaign and corruption spots because it is said in the terms of conditions that corruption spots should be aired without charge. We had to use the money allocated to the best spots for the production of TV spots.

We are thankful to Ardyn Erkh, daily newspaper and appreciate their braveness to publish the corruption stories. Hereby, we are enclosing the article, which was published on the newspaper “ Ardyn Erkh (People's Right)' under the title “Freedom to Journalists!”

5.  The project partners organized the law consultancy meeting on 11 October 2005, where Mr. E.Bolorchulun, advocate hired by the project and the investigative journalists, their teachers, and H.Tsevlee, the senior jury attended.

It was unrealistic to expect the teams to prove everything in their investigative hypotheses or use the proof they have gathered through unlawful means (in the case of the education team). It was recommended by the Philippine trainer that Globe International, Zorig Foundation and the Mongolian Press Institute do a comprehensive pre-publication review of the stories to ensure these adhere to professional and ethical journalistic standards given the risks journalists are likely to run into when their stories get published. Even before the stories are released, it is advisable that the three organizations already draw up post-publication guidelines to guide the journalists on what to do, who to call in case they come under pressure from sources and the authorities once their sources are run. They must also consider providing legal assistance. So the project partners hired a lawyer, who reviewed all the materials before they released.

The goal of the law consultancy meeting was to discuss results of the investigation and encourage the journalists who has involved in the team-work with great effort and consult with the lawyers about faced difficulties over and after the investigation period.

H.Tsevlee has focused on present three main difficulties:

He said that investigative reporting is highly risked, however depending on investigated neutral source, the journalists should work more self-confidently on investigating case. As they have more unbiased information, they should learn how to put a corrupted people in a fix and protect themselves. Basing on his pervious experience he advised that the journalists should focus more on particular angle and work continuously, not to hold back from doing on midway.

At last, on behalf of the project implementers he has highly appreciated the work of the investigative team members and has challenged them continuously combat with corruption issues, qualify the content of corruption materials, and wished the journalists to work at exclusively high professional level. He has handed over the award (Dictaphone) for the best investigative material of the Education team, which has raised a vital question on educational environment.

The team members exchanged their information on the results of released materials and problems they are facing.

L. Munkhbayasgalan, the journalist of the newspaper “Ardyn erkh” said that, all issues with corruption materials have sold out on that day and a many people are asking now. One researcher suggested working together with her on corruption cases relaying on her investigated and proved facts.

For example, S. Bulgamaa , economy team member is particularly scared and concerned about possible attacks. According to her the person who provided them with an information freely at first, furthermore has begin to threaten the team. He has demanded them not top publish an article unless not showing him. After the publication she started receiving phone calls form unknown people, who is hiding a name and phone number. These people have never used a standard phone and always have called using a prepaid card.

An another team member said, that it's just her imagination, never will be happen as the team has worked referring on neutral source and a meeting with an information source was not mistake.

Ch. Bayartogtokh, another team member said she also had the calls and she said to the person that she has used only 2% of facts, and if they continue calling she would release another 98%

D. Narantuya, sub-editor of Ardyn Erkh newspaper reported that the newspaper appreciates works of the investigative reporters and note the article have been written using the principles and methods of investigative journalism. The newspaper received many calls from those affected by the materials and threatened the staff. In most cases the callers do not tell their names and it is impossible to re-call them because they use the pre-paid card No 211. Content of the calls is:

Mr.E.Bolorchuluun, lawyer, has expressed his opinion more focusing on following three points:

• By the international standard, in most cases, the organization has taking responsibility for their publication so the journalists should not be afraid. The journalists must be brave as they referred on neutral source first time in Mongolia . You have done a good quality work this time and should not get stressed, especially the economy team.
• As the corruption materials have not been someone's order, you can deport the basic source of information from concerned organizations by the article 38.3 of the Criminal Code and the fact will be taken into account as proof.
• The protest against their publications must be presented in written form. Journalists should always demand it. There is no need paying an attention to phone call form unknown people.

Mr. E. Bolorchuluun assumed the journalists that he is ready to assist to the journalists on probable raising cases against them and provide legal consultancy for their each question.

The most of team members is very interested in continuing their investigation furthermore and recommended creating an investigative journalism center in Mongolia and run anti-corruption serials on newspaper and more involve TV journalists in combating corruption. To implement this proposal they are hoping that Press Institute and Globe International would assist them.

6.  Journalists cited insufficient time to conduct the investigations. This is understandable because they could not work on the stories full time, having to attend to regular tasks at their news organizations. It is much better for the journalists to earn money writing the news instead of loosing time for unpaid works like investigation The journalists also said resources to conduct the investigations – for travel to provinces, for example – would have been a big problem were it not for the funding support they received from the project. In general, investigative reporting is expensive and the most of media outlets are not able to cover costs, even the most of newspaper editorials have investigative division interrelated to the newsrooms. Usually these unites are not capable financially and institutionally.

7.  Constraints on access to information through formal channels forced the investigative teams to resort to unorthodox and unethical, sometimes unlawful, methods to obtain information. In the agriculture group, a journalist posed as a worker of the company to obtain the company's electricity bill. In the education team, a member brokered the agreement between an applicant to the law school and the examiner while another member registered as an applicant and cheated in the exam by buying the test answers from a middleman. The team also first got records from the school archives before requesting permission from the dean. Knowing they had broken the law, members of the education group were all set to abandon the project in favor of writing a piece about their experiences and press laws in Mongolia . Mongolia is missing access to information legislation and secrecy laws widely used as censorship and there are many harsh penalties in disclosing state or organizational secrets.

8.  Editorial independence is not guaranteed so the journalists expressed fears their stories would not see light at all because:

That is why the project partners did not widely approach many newspaper publishers and decided to publish the stories only in one newspaper.

9.  A number of the problems of the journalists stemmed from unsubstantiated assumptions they make. The journalists automatically assumed sources would not talk to them or government offices or individuals would not provide records without first trying. While some journalists found that it helped when they explained the goal of their investigation to sources, others felt otherwise. Several journalists also realized that persistence pays: Some sources eventually opened up when journalists kept going back to them. A number of the journalists, however, appeared hesitant to get the side of the subject of their investigation before the publication of their stories.

10.  Strict defamatory legislation being used against journalists in dissemination information about public figures, so the journalist are feared from imprisonment.

11.  Mongol Times, weekly tabloid, which was publishing the corruption stories and involved to the content analysis was closed. The journalists hardly attempted in getting registered their new newspaper Political News. Media outlets must be registered with the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs and required prove the publisher has a diploma of professional journalist and present the publication policy.