INDEPENDENT MEDIA

Media for Transparent Governance

Editors session

The project staff has written a letter of call to media leaders followed by intensive telephone calls to encourage their participation in the editors' sessions. Letters have been accepted positively by editors of the most of national newspapers and broadcasting media attended the sessions. Project partners have organized 8 editors' sessions during the period of November 8 and December 8, 2004 with goal to encourage editors of Mongolian media to run 8-month anti-corruption media campaign starting from February 2005.

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Session №3
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Session №8

Civil society groups will cooperate with task group and actively engaged to strategy development and drafting follow-up action plan to be approved by final seminar to be held in October 2005.

In the framework of the UNESCO funded Media for Transparent Governance project Globe International in cooperation with its partners Press Institute and ZORIG Foundation organized editors' session on 8 November 2004 at ZORIG Foundation. 40 editors and their representatives attended the session.

The goal of the session is to encourage editors of Mongolian media to run 8-month anti-corruption media campaign.

As a result of the session leaders of 5 media outlets: Mr. Altai, director of Channel 25 TV, Ms. Dulamsuren, director of TV9, Mr. Sandagdorj, Chief-in-Editor of Monglolyn Media (Mongolian News), daily, Ms. Budeehuu, sub-editor of Unen (The Truth), daily, Mr. Otgondavaa, sub-editor of Deedsiin amidral (Elite's life), weekly have expressed their willingness to support to media campaign. The project staff and partners are organising the 2d editors' session on Friday, 12 November 2004.

Oyun, MP, H.Naranjargal, Head of Globe International and Monkhmandakh, director of Press Institute have spoken on need of public awareness through media, role of freedom of information and importance of development of investigative journalism.

Ms. Oyun, MP noted that 2 issues are important in combating corruption. These are political commitment and change of the public attitude. She also thanked the editors for their commitment and stressed that media can play a big role in combating corruption. She paid an attention to 4 most important issues that media should include in their campaigning. These are: an income disclosure of public officials, political parties' funding, transparency of election funding and access to information.

After the presentations editors and their representatives exchanged their views and opinions and they discussed difficulties and problems facing media and investigative journalists in covering corruption issues.

Most crucial problems they raised are the followings:

- No investigative reporters on TV. Investigative reporting is highly risked and journalists are afraid

- Newspapers cannot not keep investigative reporters staff in newspapers. In general journalists are less paid and they prefer working in the news that is fast and sufficiently paid rather than spending much time in research and investigation and get almost nothing.

- Quality of journalism schools is poor so editors spend much time to train new comers

- Legal environment for development of investigative reporting is unfavorable. No laws on access to information and protection of information sources.

- Criminal defamatory legislation is strict and those officials affected in critical materials often use this provision of the Criminal Law.

- It is no secret that even editors of some newspapers use the critical material against the person affected in it and make it as toll of making money ( Corruption inside media is existed)

- Mongolia is a small country with small population and almost everybody knows each other and it creates condition for corruption and it is difficult to write serious materials

- Media is not capable itself institutionally so it also causes development of investigative reporting

- Mongolian journalists are not psychologically willing to expose serious corruption criminal cases so they get stressed and go under psychological pressure

- Mongolian journalists are not brave and do not have personal commitment to exercise investigative reporting and they are afraid to be imprisoned

- Most of Mongolian media outlets have its rules that an author is taking responsibility for their publication so no organizations protecting journalists' rights: journalists' organization is not strong and media leaders do not want take any responsibilities. How should be the journalists be brave?

Actions should be taken to make the project successful

- Form a group of journalists selecting those, who are skilled and committed and to involve them to training. Media outlets should offer their journalists

- Assist media outlets in missions on research and investigations. For example, there are facts and information that costumer officers working in Mongolian and Chinese border, who are organizing " cars with customs" and they offer "non-customs tax" service. According to this black deal If tradesmen buying goods in Chine use this so-called service , they should not be checked in the border and paid any import taxes.

- Provide legal consultancy for investigative reporters

- TV 9 is ready to run anti-corruption and freedom of spots as social marketing advertisements

- Channel 25 television will broadcast live program on corruption issues next week and involve the project partners, politicians, representatives of civil society, police and State Auditing Department

- Freedom of information and Corruction H.Naranjargal /Mongolian/

Name of participants

Name of participants Position
1 S.Oyun Member of Parliament
2 H.Naranjargal Head of Globe International
3 Monkhmandakh director of Press Institute
4 S.Bayaraa Zorig foundation
2 Altai director of Channel 25 TV
3 Dulamsuren director of TV9
4 Sandagdorj Chief-in-Editor of Monglolyn Media (Mongolian News)
5 Budeehuu sub-editor of Unen (The Truth)
6 Otgondavaa sub-editor of Deedsiin amidral (Elite's life)
7 U.Ankhbayar Zindaa newspaper
8 O.Namchin Zuuny medee newspaper
9 G.Munkhnasan Mongolian National Radio
10 R.Ouyntsetseg Press Institute
11 B.Sainbayar UBS TV
12 Ariuntsetseg Deedsiin amidral newspaper
13 Otgonchimeg Deedsiin amidral newspaper
14 Uyanga Corruption study center
15 Ganchimeg Mongol times newspaper
16 Bathishig Mongol times newspaper
17 G.Gangamoron Yellow newspaper
18 B.Oidov Notstoi medee newspaper
19 Gendenbaatar volenteer
20 Sergei Radchenko Researcher
21 B.Batbyamba Zorig foundation
22 D.Munkhburen Globe International

More information is available in Mongolian