Independent Media

Media monitoring /2005 Presidential election/

First report on media coverage of the 22 May presidential election
/ Released on April 25, 2005/

Globe International, an independent, non-partisan Mongolian NGO dedicated to freedom of expression and the media, has been systematically monitoring the media coverage of the 22 May presidential election. This project is conducted with the material and technical support of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), an international NGO headquartered in Washington, D.C. promoting democratic development worldwide.

Globe International seeks to evaluate the mass media’s performance in providing objective and balanced coverage of the candidates and their platforms so the citizens of Mongolia can make well-informed choices at the ballot box. The project’s findings will be determined through a well-defined and rigorous methodology and are not intended to support any one candidate or political party, but the integrity of the media environment as a whole during the campaign season.

On April 4, Globe International commenced the monitoring of six TV channels (Mongolian National TV, Channell 25, UBS TV-5, TV-9, and Eagle TV), one radio (Mongolian National Radio) and four daily newspapers (Daily News, Century News, Today and The People’s Right) using qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis . Quantitative analysis measures the total amount of time and space devoted to elections-related coverage on monitored media outlets. The qualitative analysis evaluates whether the information about candidates is positive, negative, or neutral in its content.
Mass media’s crucial role of offering citizens information they need to make well-informed choices in their lives is most clearly demonstrated during elections. People often decide their vote on what they learn from the mass media. What the media reports, then, is an important part of the electoral landscape. Balance and fairness of media coverage of political parties, candidates, and issues is an important part of the level playing field required for genuinely free elections. While all media should offer responsible and fair coverage, it is especially incumbent upon state media, which is financed by all of a country’s citizens, to provide unbiased coverage.
After three weeks of monitoring, Globe international found a wide divergence between the media`s portrayal of the candidates and the election campaign. Following is the first of periodic reports that Globe International will issue through the May election.

HIGHLIGHTS

- MNTV allocated more than half (54%) of its political and election prime time coverage to N. Enkhbayar, of an overwhelmingly positive or neutral tone. The second most covered candidate, M.Enkhsaikhan, received 22% of similar airtime, which was also mostly positive or neutral. The other two candidates - B. Jargalsaikhan and B.Erdenebat – received 17% and 7% of the coverage respectively.

- Out of five monitored private TV channels, three (UBS, TV-5 and TV-9) provided N. Enkhbayar with the biggest portion of their political, and election prime time coverage. Conversely, M.Enkhsaikhan was the most often presented candidate on Channel 25 and Eagle TV. The latter has so far provided its viewers with the most balanced information about the candidates out of all monitored TV stations.

- Mongolian National Radio devoted comparable amount of its political and election prime time coverage to three candidates - N. Enkhbayar 28%, B.Erdenebat 30%, and M.Enkhsaikhan 31%. The fourth candidate, B. Jargalsaikhan, received only 11% of such coverage. There was very little negative coverage about the candidates.

- The print media provided a plurality of views, but invariably showed strong bias either in favour of or against a candidate. Consequently, voters could form an objective view of the campaign only if they read several publications.

Television
Mongolian National Television MN

The candidate of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP) N.Enkhbayar received 54% of primetime coverage on MNTV`s news and analytical programs, more than half of it in his capacity as Speaker of Parliament rather than engaged in election campaign activities. As such, N.Enkhbayar was able to unduly exploit his advantage position vis-a-vis other candidates to get excessive media exposure. The tone of the coverage was overwhelmingly positive or neutral. The second most covered candidate, M.Enkhsaikhan (Democratic Party – DP), received only 22% of similar airtime, which was also positive or neutral. The other two candidates - B. Jargalsaikhan (Mongolian Republican Party - MPR) and B.Erdenebat (Motherland Party – MP) received 17% and 7% of the coverage respectively.

Generally, there was almost no negative information about the candidates on the MNTV`s news and current affairs programs – most of the candidate`s coverage was either positive or neutral. N.Enkhbayar was also devoted the biggest portions of direct airtime to present his views and convey his messages to the electorate.

Ulaanbaatar Broadcasting Systems UBS

UBS was vigorous to show its support to the incumbent speaker of parliament by allocating him 79% of its primetime coverage, which was exclusively positive in tone. By comparison, the next most covered candidate, M.Enkhsaikhan, received only 10% of the channel`s political and election prime time coverage. While the tone of his coverage was mainly positive or neutral, M.Enkhsaikhan also received some criticism on the channel`s prime time news. Candidates B.Jargalsaikhan and B.Erdenebat were devoted 6% and 5% of such coverage respectively, all of this coverage mainly positive or neutral in tone.

UBS presented some stories in a one-sided unfair manner. Following are some examples:
- In the special election section of the prime time news program broadcast at 8:30 pm (April 13, 14, 15 and 16), UBS aired detailed information about candidate N.Enkhbayar, while other candidates were only mentioned.

- Candidate N.Enkhbayar was shown in his capacity as a Speaker of Parliament in an exclusively positive light. UBS neglected to air any contrary views, there was no criticism of N. Enkhbayar`s work as Speaker of Parliament or former Prime Minister.

Eagle TV
Eagle TV prime time news programs have so far been evaluated as the most balanced among all monitored TV stations. The media monitoring results indicate that three candidates received roughly equal proportions of the channel`s political and election prime time coverage - Enkhsaikhan (DP) - 34%, B.Jargalsaikhan (MRP) - 28%, and B.Erdenebat (MP) – 22%. The fourth candidate, N.Enkhbayar, received 16% of the channel`s prime time election and political coverage.

As for the tone of the coverage, the coverage of the candidates was generally balanced with all four candidates receiving a slightly more positive than negative coverage.

TV-5
TV-5 was another private TV channel to show its clear favouritism towards N.Enkhbayar who derived more than half of his media exposure in his capacity as Speaker of Parliament, thereby gaining an advantage over his rivals. In three weeks of the campaign, N.Enkhbayar received 47% of the political and election prime time coverage, almost all of it positive or neutral in slant. Conversely, candidate M.Enkhsaikhan received 37% of such coverage, which was also mainly positive or neutral. The other two candidates - B.Erdenebat and B.Jargalsaikhan were devoted 14% and 6% of the coverage. The latter received roughly equal proportions of positive and negative coverage.

The channel`s news programs portrayed N.Enkhbayar in a positive light being praised by various organizations or individuals who were given floor to expressed their strong support. There was only one news story which featured N.Enkhbayar in a negative light. Only once there was negative information about this candidate. The only time when candidates B.Jargalsaikhan B.Erdenebat were shown by the channel was when they received candidate`s credentials. In addition, they were criticized on the channels program called “Yellow News”.

TV- 9
Similarly as TV-5 and UBS, TV-9 also showed its strong support to the incumbent Speaker of Parliament. N.Enkhbayar was once again shown in his capacity as state official visiting various constituencies presenting his election platform. In three weeks of the official campaign period, TV-9 provided N. Enkhbayar with 69% of its political and election prime time coverage, which was almost exclusively positive or neutral. Conversely, the DP candidate M.Enkhsaikhan received only 14% of such airtime, which was mainly neutral in tone. The other two candidates, B.Jargalsaikhan and B.Erdenebat received only 8% and 9% of the coverage respectively.

Channel 25 TV MN-25
Unlike the three TV channels, Channel 25 was the only broadcaster to offer wide-ranging and favourable coverage to M.Enkhsaikhan and a critical approach towards N.Enkhbayar. M. Enkhsaikhan was devoted as much as 87% of the channel`s prime time election and political coverage. The tone of this coverage was overwhelmingly positive or neutral. In sharp contrast, candidate N.Enkhbayar received only 9% of such coverage, which was mainly predominantly negative or neutral. The other two candidates were largely ignored.

Radio

Mongolian National Radio MN Radio
State funded radio gave almost equal proportions of its election and political prime time news coverage to three canidates - N.Enkhbayar (MPRP) – 28%, B.Erdenebat (MP) – 30% and M.Enkhsaikhan - 31%. However, the fourth candidate B.Jargalsaikhan (MRP) received only 11% of such coverage. The tone of the coverage was fairly balanced about all four candidates. In terms of direct time, N.Enkhbayar received the highest amount (3 minutes and 48 seconds), whereas B.Jargalsaikhan the lowest (2 minutes and 15 seconds).

Newspapers

The print media provided a plurality of views, but invariably showed strong bias either in favour of or against a candidate. Consequently, voters could form an objective view of the campaign only if they read several publications.

“People’s Right” Ardin erh
People`s Right provided M.Enkhsaikhan with 46% of its total space devoted to the coverage of candidates. The tone of this coverage was mainly positive or neutral. His main rival, N.Enkhbayar, received 42% of such coverage with roughly equal proportions of positive and negative coverage. The other two candidates mainly ignored - B.Erdenebat and B.Jargalsaikhan received respectively 4% and 81% of the coverage which was mainly negative in tone.

“Today” Onoodor
Today allocated as much as 41 % of its candidates` coverage to Enkhsaikhan, which was mainly positive or neutral in tone. The second most often covered candidate was B.Erdenebat (36%) and third N.Enkhbayar (14%). The latter was also the only candidate to receive equal proportions of positive and negative coverage since all the other receive more positive than negative.

“Daily News” Odriin sonin
Daily News devoted almost half of its candidates`coverage to M.Enkhsaikhan (43%). His main opponent N.Enkhbayar received 27% of such space. While the coverage of the Democratic Party candidate was exclusively positive or neutral, the MPRP candidate was under heavy criticism. The only other candidate with some significant coverage was B.Erdenebat who received 24% of the paper`s coverage of the candidates.

“Century News” Zuunii medee
Unlike the two above mentioned publications, Century News showed its clear support to N.Enkhbayar (MPRP) by devoting him as much as 85% of its candidates` coverage, which was almost exclusively positive or neutral in tone. Conversely, M.Enkhsaikhan (DP) received only 7% of such coverage, which was predominantly negative. The remaining two candidates - B.Jargalsaikhan (MRP) and B.Erdenebat (MP) - received 5% and 3% respectively.

Conclusion
There are a wide variety of views offered to Mongolians by the different media. While this is not unusual in an open society, indeed it is laudable, there are early indications that not all media outlets follow the same standards of balance and fairness. It is too early to draw clear conclusions about the quality of coverage in individual outlets. Nevertheless, early data show that MNTV, UBS, TV-9, TV-5 and Channel 25 TV frequently neglected to offer Mongolians opposing views on particular stories. Mongolian Radio has so far offered its viewers a more balanced picture of the campaign. Eagle TV prime time news programs have so far been evaluated as the most balanced among all monitored TV stations.Globe International will gather data throughout the pre-election period to determine if this is a consistent trend.

Mongolian Presidential Election 2005

Media Monitoring

Globe International has been monitoring six television stations, one radio and four daily newspapers, using a proven methodology of qualitative and quantitative analysis. The monitoring exercise will run for the whole period of the official media campaign, from 4 April through to the start of the “media silence” on 21 May. Globe will seek to evaluate whether the media provide impartial and balanced coverage of the political contestants and the campaign issues.

Monitoring has been conducted using qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis. Quantitative analysis measured the total amount of time and space devoted to election contestants on the news and information programs. Qualitative analysis evaluated the tone in which the relevant political subjects were portrayed – positive, neutral or negative.

Explanation on the charts
- The upper bar charts (blue) and pie charts show the total amount of airtime or space allocated to relevant political subjects

-The bar charts below show the total number of positive (green), neutral (white) and negative (red) references about relevant political subjects