Survey report

                         Survey report   among   a journalists conducted
                         by the Globe international on November 2005

  28 November 2005                                                                                        Ulaanbaatar

More than a decade have passed since a development of democratic and professional   journalism and supporting process of   independent media in Mongolia . A most effective form in supporting of independent media and protecting the free expression rights is a media self regulation. Although we have spoken on need to develop it in the Mongolian media and Mongolian journalists   working still in a restricted environment but there are a only a few facts on the present situation. In the frame of the newly started project “Monitoring free expression violation and supporting the rights of independent media” was conducted this probing survey to evaluate in monitoring the present situation and to study   a some cases.  
The survey conducted on the violation of free expression situation among 100 journalists working in   seven print media outlets including five daily and   two independent yellow paper and also involved a journalists of   national radio and television

The result of survey which evaluated by percentage are following.
Table 1. Background information of respondents            

            Table shows that a more than 60 % of journalists working in print and broadcast media are a young people around 18-30 years old and a majority of them have a high education and graduated a journalism institute.

Table 2. Duration of working time after graduation

The above tables shows that half of respondents who involved to the survey have   experienced and specialized in professional journalism.

In your opinion a salary that getting you apposite for your work ? We have questioned a journalists in order to search   that how their social welfare question is implementing and are they satisfied with a salary that getting.   60% out of them have answered that they not satisfied with salary. A most of journalists have answered that they somehow involved to the social insurance. See a table # 3.# 4 .

Table 3. In your opinion a salary that getting you apposite for your work. ?

            Table   4 . Is your     employer paying for your social insurance fee?

If not, by which contract you are working for? 12 people out of 15, who answered on above question No, have described their working contract as follows.

In Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights declared that “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the right to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”.

Also in article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which guarantee the right to freedom of expression without any interfere has declared that: “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or print, in the form of art or through any other media of his choice” and everyone, who enjoy theses rights:

a. Shall respect someone's reputation
b. Shall act within a limitation determined by a law   which protect National Security, public order and public health and morals.

In the article on human rights and freedom of Constitution of Mongolia and in the article 17 of chapter 16 stated that “Everyone shall have the right to seek and receive information except that which the State and its bodies are legally bound to protect as secret. In order to protect human rights, dignity and reputation of persons and to defend the State National security and public order, secrets of the State, individuals, or organizations which are not subject to disclosure shall be defined and protected by law.

Freedom of expression, freedom of speech and publishing rights are a fundamental   rights of a democracy. These mentioned rights, freedom of expression and freedom of speech and publishing rights   are guaranteed by the Constitution and also in article 2 of the Law on Freedom of Media stated that “ It shall be prohibited to issue laws that restrict freedom of media and freedom of communication media” and in article 3 “ The State shall not impose control (censoring) over the contents of public information, the State shall not establish and organization to control published and broadcasted information neither it shall finance its activities”. It was important that determined a legal environment of public broadcasting which   can   promote pluralism   and transparency   and disseminate unbiased information to the public and able to play it's vital role of “ public watchdog”.

However the result of survey shows that    most of journalists (60 % ) could not enjoy and experience these rights guaranteed by law. ( See   Table 5).

  53 % of all respondents of survey have answered Yes , on that question “ Was you threatened or pressured in connection with your publication and broadcasted items?” ( See   Table 6)

It reveals that, more than half of respondents have threatened and pressured by someone in connection with their published and broadcast items. That unfavorable environment have influenced negatively to the journalists to work complacently and   in the high professional level.

We have questioned   a journalists about a types of pressure and coerce and    32.8%   answered that they have received a threatening call from someone, 1.6% answered a family members was attacked, 8.2% was coerced to violate to their life and health, 27.1% was pressured through a media outlet's owners and managers, 3.3%   was coerced to impose sanctions on a financing,     12.3% was demanded to publish a false correction on their materials, 13.9% was called to a legal organizations and 0.8% was threatened to damage a private property.

The result of survey reveals that in most cases a journalists have become a victim for the implementation of their professional duty.  

Also the result exposed that a Mongolian journalists are lacking a legal education and they haven't a knowledge   on types of free expression violations, for example a journalist was called to a court, it not means that his right was violated. A court call   a journalist when he faced a legal problem. A journalist's right to hire an advocate for legal advise are always free .   

Depending on how a court issued a decree regarding to a journalist will be determined his right violated or not.  

  Table 5 . Can you express your opinion freely ?

  Table 6 . Was you threatened or pressured in connection with your publication and broadcast items ?

If yes, how many times? 30 out of 100 people have answered to this question.   If show the result of survey by percentage.

Table 7. How you was   threatened / What kind of a pressure you have faced?

If show by percentage, the answer of people, who said Yes as follows:    

Table 8 . Was you called to a legal organizations in connection with your publications? If called/ which organization?  

Table 9 . Are you feeling a fright in regard with your job ?

Table 10 . What kind of actions should be taken   in the future for the independent media  

                                                             Conclusion

1. The survey revealed that even as a journalists are willing to abide a princip of professional ethics however it always violates due to a strong coerce and censorship. Also exposed,   a nessecity and importance   to organize a legal education training among journalists and provide legal assistance and advice for them.
2. Should develop a monitoring network on implementation of law on media freedom and make an analysis on censorship and reinforce national and international advocacy on freedom of expression and independent media
3. Program policy of media outlets must be apart from the in influence of media outlet's owners.
4. Should carry out an activities to be increase on journalism professional ethics, media self regulation, media management, legal education among journalists and media owners.  
5. There a need to guarantee a media independence and perform a work to empower a journalist's organisation   
6. To organize a training systematically among a legal officials to reduce a misunderstanding between a journalists and lawyers.

Introduction
Journalist's round table meeting on development of information strategy
Law consultancy meeting on free expression violations
The following types of violation on journalist's rights are existing in real terms:
Survey report