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The journalist's round table meeting was held on 16 November 2005 and Ms.D.Munkhburen, project coordinator “Monitoring Free Expression Violations and Supporting the Rights of Independent Media” OSI funded one year project and Ms. Ch. Yeruulsuren, alerts coordinator have introduced about the project which aims to build the capacity of free expression monitoring in Mongolia.
As result of the meeting journalists and teachers of 6 media outlets and journalism institute: Mr.G.Erdenebat, journalist, (Daily news), daily Mr.G.Dashrentsen, journalist, (Elite's institute), weekly Ms.D.Bayarmaa, journalist, (Mongolian news), daily, Ms.A.Altantuya, journalist, (People's right), daily, Mr.G.Munkhnasan correspondent, (Mongolian National Radio), Mr.M. Banzragch, teacher, Radio & Television Institute, Mr.B.Tsogzayabaatar journalist, (Mongolian news),daily, Mr.Batjav, editor, (Eagle TV ) have expressed their opinion on most worrying issues which are facing to Mongolian journalists and types of free expression violations and have given some advise on design and content of newsletter which will be published bi- monthly during the project implementation period.
Ms.D.Munkhburen, project coordinator, had spoken on present condition of the freedom of expression in Mongolia which is strictly limited and rise awareness among Mongolian society of the need and importance of free-expression. M ost of the journalists are lacking a legal knowledge due to this they didn't know that their rights have violated. Ms. D.Munkhburen also noted that 2 issues are important in improving of free expression condition. These are to strengthen a n ational and international advocacy on freedom of expression and legal support and education for the journalists.
After the presentations journalists and journalism teachers exchanged their views and opinions on professional inaccuracy of some young journalists and they debated on difficulties and problems facing media and journalists. As the project staff asked, experienced journalists have given some advise on design and content of printed version of the preparing newsletter.
Issues rised during the meeting:
- No complete and accurate data concerning violations of the rights of media outlets and journalists
- Journalists and media outlets is suffering due to the existence of seriously restrictive legislation,
- Strong pressures exerted on journalists by government and media outlet's owners
- Journalists lack legal knowledge concerning how to exercise their professional duties and defend their rights
- Journalists need legal education to use law provisions to help defend them
- Journalists do not have ethical principles and most of them are making a professional inaccuracy to be punished.
- There is need to develop wider awareness for future advocacy campaigns concerning media freedom and journalists' rights.
- Mongolian journalist are lacking a solidarity and so that a reason they often disclaim each other.
Journalists thanked the Globe International NGO that establishing the monitoring network throughout Mongolia on free expression violation and made following conclusion.
- Regularly organize a journalist's meeting, discuss most crucial problems which facing them.
- Provide legal consultancy on the journalists' rights through educational materials
- Create a condition that the journalists work should be evaluated
- Pay attention on creation of favorable environment for the free-lance journalist so that they can publish and distribute a produced materials
- Stop to impose a VAT on imported paper of newspaper
- Upgrade an issue on use of this tax paid money for the settlement of journalist's social welfare problems.
- Provide an information to the legal officials including lawyers, judges, prosecutors and police officials to be change their attitude concerning journalist related crime cases
- Organize a training on international standard of journalism to learn about possible ways that standard and techniques can be adapted to the Mongolian situation.
- Program policy of media outlets must be apart from the in influence of media outlet's owners.
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