INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Media
for Transparent Governance
Content analysis
Media for Transparent Governance project
Mid-term report on content analysis
Mongolian researchers: Ch.Choisamba, Ph.D and Ch.Bazar,Ph.D have been conducting the content analysis on anti-corruption materials since January 1 after they have been trained by the trainer from Philippine. The present report conducted in the period of January 1- April 1, 2005 and it involved in total 13 media outlets: 8 newspapers and 5 TV channels. 2 of 13 media outlets have officially stated they have been involved to media campaign started by Globe International in cooperation with ZORIG Foundation and Press Institute.
Content analysis is to evaluate the corruption materials by the Mongolian media.
Media outlets involved to content analysis are:
Print Media
1. Onoodor (Today), national daily
• Odriin sonin (Daily News), national daily
• Zuuny Medee (Century's news), national daily
• Unen (The Truth), national daily
• Ardyn Erh (People's Right), national daily
• Mongolyn Medee (Mongolian News), national daily
• Mongol Times, 10-days tabloid
• Seruuleg (The Bell), weekly tabloid
Broadcast Media
- Mongolian National TV, national broadcasting
- Channel 25, local coverage
- UBS, local coverage
- TV5, local coverage
- TV9, local coverage
Methodology
Mid-term media research on investigative materials found out how the media has covered particular cases of corruption, specially exposed the content and structure of the reports/features on corruption, evaluated the coverage of corruption case, determined the similarities and differences in the way different media sources covered corruption issues and presented data-based assessment of the performance of media in its coverage. The final report of content analysis, which should be completed by October 2005, will discuss the possible impact of the coverage on audiences and to offer some recommendations on how to it may be improved.
The researchers analyzed the whole content of newspapers and content of news programs because the newscasts are the most independent journalism form. SPSS soft ware was used for analysis. .
Basic information about the materials analyzed included in the list of variables, which are as follows:
- Title
- Date
- Day
- Type
- Source
- Location
- Frequency
- Photos & Cartoons
- Size/l length
- Personalities or organization/key actors
- Treatment of personalities/issues
- Topic/issues raised
Results of content analysis
13 media outlet, which have been involved to the content analysis, published and broadcasted 155 corruption materials: 123 newspaper publications and 32 TV news.
Number of publications and news covered the corruption issues
1. Onoodor (Today), national daily - 16
2.
Odriin sonin (Daily News), national daily - 15
3.
Zuuny Medee (Century's news), national daily - 18
4.
Unen (The Truth), national daily - 27
5.
Ardyn Erh (People's Right), national daily - 16
6.
Mongolyn Medee (Mongolian News), national daily - 19
7.
Mongol Times, 10-days tabloid - 9
8.
Seruuleg (The Bell), weekly tabloid - 3
Broadcast Media
- Mongolian National TV, national broadcasting - 6
- Channel 25, local coverage - 3
- UBS, local coverage - 5
- TV5, local coverage - 9
- TV9, local coverage - 9
Newspapers allocated 40,078 sm. square of space devoted to corruption issues and television channels dedicated 4.758 seconds of airtime. If consider how newspapers evaluate the significance of corruption reporting, 37 or 29.8% of materials were published in the front page.
The number of corruption materials has increased in February and March compare to January. The anti-corruption media campaign has been officially started in February. The researchers report that some political and social events such as citizens' movement Healthy Society (CMHS), the deadline for reporting income orders of MPs and discussion of the law on Political Parties also influenced to increase of corruption issues. The researchers analyzed the CMHS meetings and demonstrations as corruption related topic. Other issues like government bureaucracy, tender or bid fraud, unfair actions or legal violations of customs service and taxation officials are also considered as related topic.
57 materials covered corruption as main topic and in 98 materials corruption mentioned as related topic.
Journalism genres
As concerns journalism genres 67 of materials are news, 54- articles, 12 -reportage, 15 interviews, and 7 commentaries. The results are as follows:
| |
Newspaper |
TV |
Total |
| News |
38 |
29 |
67 |
| Article |
54 |
|
54 |
| Reportage |
12 |
|
12 |
| Interview |
15 |
|
15 |
| Commentary |
4 |
3 |
7 |
All the reportages are from CMHS meetings and demonstrations. As regards news they mainly covered the Parliament discussions of the Law on Political Parties
Usage of photos
45 materials published with photos or cartoons. The remainder- 78 did not use any illustrations.
Information sources
106 materials referred to their information sources and 49 did not mentions their sources. 42 out of 106 were oral and 64 used written sources. 32 of them belong to newspapers and 17- to the TV news. It is positive that the journalists become more responsible, but it is still not sufficient.
Personalities affected in the corruption materials.
In total 14 personalities mentioned in the corruption materials and N.Enkhbayar, Parliament Speaker is on the top of personalities affected in corruption materials His name was mentioned 36 times. The most of personalities affected in corruption materials are MPs and high officials. The next most affected personalities are:
1. H.Baatar, General Customs Department - 8
2. H.Batsuuri, State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture - 4
3. Ch.Ulaan, PM, Vice PM - 2
4. U.Hurelsukh, MP, the Minister of Disaster - 2
5.M.Amgalanbaatar, Chairman of the Department of Traffic Police - 2
6. G.Uyanga, journalist - 2
Among others are MPs: J.Enkhsaikhan, B.Erdenebat, U.Barsbold, the Minister of Environment and O.Chuluunbaatar, the President of the Mongol Bank.
It should be noted that the journalists use general terms like "state authorities", transport prosecutor", " teachers", "officials" and so on.
Organizations affected in the corruption materials
Citizens' Movement "Healthy Society" is the on the top and the following organizations are mentioned as most in the corruption materials.
- General Customs Department
- The Ministry of Agriculture
- Erel LLC
- The Courts
- The Police,
- State Inspection Department
- The fields such as health, education and environment.
CONCLUSION
Anti-corruption media campaign started in February 2005 has contributed to increase of corruption materials and media outlets are able seriously contribute to the combating corruption.
Such a content analysis is the first ever research in the media and it involved comparatively short period so it is difficult to provide objective recommendations. However, the researchers think the following conclusions may be useful for increasing the number of publications and programs and qualifying their content.
- Newspapers do not pay much attention to corruption, otherwise the materials are published in 2 or other pages
- Journalist should focus on corruption in a direct way rather than covering like related topic.
- It is positive that journalists relay to information sources rather than expressing their opinions. Unfortunately, the sources limited by the someone's words or talks. It should be noted that oral sources are used without prove and the proved facts and research results
- There are 7 cases that the author did not put their names, which is unethical.
- The reportages are all covered CMHS meetings and demonstrations
- It is not qualitatively sufficient that 63.2% of all the stories are corruption related materials.
- It is important to note there are some materials, which just mention the position of people without names. The journalists may afraid or avoid getting the problems because their sources are not reliable.
- The researchers emphasize that the most of corruption materials are not investigative and they cover the meetings, publish or broadcast the statements or interview the people how to combat corruption or raise corruption issues in general.
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