Globe International NGO in association with the International Free Expression eXchange and Moscow based Center for Journalists for Extreme Situation and with OSI financing have begun to implement the project “Monitoring free expression violations and Supporting the rights of independent media”.
The goal of the project is to develop comprehensive monitoring of free expression violations and to campaign for the rights of independent media so that Mongolia 's media will have greater freedom to play a leading role in the development of democracy.
Mongolian journalists are experiencing many difficulties in exercising their professional duties. The 1998 media Freedom Law bans censorship and prohibits state ownership of mass media. However, in real terms freedom of expression is strictly limited in Mongolia . According to a 2004 survey among 200 journalists working in news and current affairs, 100 % of respondents said that “ An official censorship and also self-censorship exist in Mongolia ”. The majority of them or 29% explained that “there are no organizations that protect my rights “and 27.5%“journalists can be imprisoned because they have no legal protection” and 15.5% “Afraid of been called by authorities “. Furthermore, 9% out of them said that they are afraid of getting punished, getting salary cuts and getting fired. 7 % can't prove the existence of their information source.
To ensure that accurate and timely information about the situation of Mongolian journalists reaches the international community, Globe International NGO will establish a network of skilled monitors across the country to investigate and report on violations.
During the implementation of the project the main concern is to reveal evidence of media freedom and journalists rights being violated. Furthermore, draw more local and international attention on this issue and in cooperation with IFEX, distribute action alerts through the IFEX action alert network.
In the frame of the project the GI will provide a free legal consultancy for the journalists and produce 2 handbooks, which will advice journalists on how to defend themselves in the face of legal problems and deliver a training . We hope that this book will become one of the most preferred choices for information look up regarding free media for Mongolian journalists.
Moreover, this project is aiming to support an independent media and media freedom which is key part of human rights and to encourage it's role to being “watch dog” of the society. |
