Media advisor
Globe International NGO has been implementing a project to monitoring violations of free expression and to support the rights of the independent media to help Mongolia’s media achieve greater freedom to play a leading role in the development of democracy.
The project started last October, with financial support from London’s Open Society Institute and in partnership with the Canadian-based International Free Expression Exchange (IFEX) and the Moscow Center for Journalists in Extreme Situations (CJES).Read more...

Globe International NGO has become the IFEX member
As we had informed before through our website Globe International has planned to become the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) member , the network of 64 groups coordinated from Toronto to seek support in setting up monitoring and reporting of violation cases and to become the source of alerts for the international human rights/free expression community.
Read more...

IFJ supports calls for more legal protection for journalists in Mongolia
Media release: Mongolia March 13, 2006
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is calling for appropriate legal protection for journalists in Mongolia after a series of incidents where journalists have been censored and intimidated by government officials.
Globe We are deeply concerned about this growing trend of censorship of journalists through threats International, a Mongolian media development NGO, reports ten cases since the beginning of 2006 in which journalists have been censored or harassed to try to make them reveal their sources
.Read more...

REGIONAL NEWS

North region
Print journalist threatened
Colonel J. Vyachaslav, director of ordinary security prison 439 of the Mongolian General Court Decisions Executive Department in Bulgan province has threatened journalist Mr. J. Munkh-Ochir of the weekly newspaper Zindaa (Rank) for an article entitled “Lacking control of prisoners, published on the September issue, 2005.
At a province executive meeting at the governor’s administration office on March 13, 2006, Vyachaslav said to the journalist, ”Why have you spread false information to the public? Do you know that for this you must be taken to court and punished? I’ll resolve this problem through the law.”
Read more...

Ulaanbaatar
TV journalists assaulted
On the night of May 8, 2006, a television crew with reporters M. Batdorj and T. Orgil and cameramen B. Uuganbayar and L. Bayanbat, all from the independent Eagle TV channel, were assaulted by policemen in the centre of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, in Sukhbaatar Square, while covering actions by Mongolian police who were breaking and tearing down the gers (traditional Mongolian dwellings) of the protesters.
Several civil movements had been protesting against the current government since March this year, the pending stability agreement with Ivanhoe mines (Canadian mining company)/, corruption, and the 2006 udget revisions. Read more...

Assault on journalist and media infrastructure
The journalist Ms. Sh. Aruintsetseg and cameraman Mr.G.Delger of the "Mongolyn medee"/Mongolian news/ news service of the Mongolian National Public Radio and Television were harassed by the students on 19 April 2006 while covering the actions when leaders of civil movements such us "Healthy society", "Mongolian Homeland" hiring students to the protest demonstration near the Students hostel in the western district of capital city Ulaanbaatar. According to Aruintsetseg " Although students refused to gave any interview and we could interviewed one student who confirmed that by hiring 5000 tugriks / about 4 $/ civil movements he agreed to involve to the protest. Read more...

Journalists investigated over article critical of politicians
Globe International is deeply concerned about civil and criminal defamation charges brought against researchers and journalists by Mongolian politicians, including the current President N. Enkhbayar, and urges these politicians to respect freedoms of the press freedom and of expression as guaranteed under the Mongolian Constitution.
Globe International considers that by prosecuting journalists, these politicians are attempting to intimidate the media into not reporting criticism.
A Globe International survey on libel and defamation suits in the six district courts of Mongolia’s capital Ulaanbaatar reveals that a total of 121 civil defamation charges were brought against journalists and media organisations between 2001-2004. Read more...

Print journalist is investigated over his article
(Globe International/IFEX) – Mr. G. Dashrentsen, political commentator for the national newspaper Udriin Sonin (Daily News) has been under investigation, acused of libel, by the Mongoloian Police Enquiry Department since 28 January 2006 following a complaint made by Buddhist lama Purevbat.
Lama Purevbat complained that he had been shamed by being called a “yaschin” in an article headed “N. Enkhbayar’s Black Spot Moves Ahead in Mongolia,” written by Mr. Dashrentsen and printed in the weekly Deedsiin Hureelen at the end of October last year.
According to Dashrentsen, he did not criticise Lama Purevbat, but only current Mongolian President N. Enkhbayar for giving an award to a lama who destroyed the bones of hundreds of lamas, evidence of mass killings during the repression period of the 1930s. Read more...

“Against Censorship!!!”
Globe International NGO in cooperation with ZORIG Foundation has organized a round table “Against Censorship!!!” on 2 May of 2006 at the meeting hall of the National Legal Center of Mongolia.
AGAINST CENSOSHIP!!! was the message to address to the Mongolian authorities.
Although the 1998 Media Freedom Law bans the censorship is existed and the journalists are highly self-censored according to a 2004 survey of Globe International conducted among 200 journalists working in news and current affairs. Mongolian media and journalists are experiencing many difficulties in exercising their professional duties.Read more...

Media advisor: Against Censorship!!!
AGAINST CENSOSHIP!!! is the message to address to the Mongolian authorities. Although the 1998 Media Freedom Law bans the censorship is existed and the journalists are highly self-censored according to a 2004 survey of Globe International conducted among 200 journalists working in news and current affairs.
Globe International in cooperation with ZORIG Foundation is organising a round table Against Censorship!!! on 2 May of 2006 at the meeting hall of the National Legal Center of Mongolia.
During the round table discussion the participants will be informed in the origin and essence of a censorship, it’s types, censorship and legal environment in Mongolia, difficulties facing journalists in exercising their professional duties. Globe International also will feature its new web portal on monitoring of free expression violations in Mongolia.Read more...

Can the media and politics co-exist in a friendly relationship?
The Mongolian media has changed rapidly and deeply over the last decade in the democratic transition. The development of journalism has been heavily influenced by whichever party has been in power as the major political parties, MPRP and Democratic Party, took turns to rule, ending thee entury with a coalition government .
The policy of the DP, which ruled in 1996-2000, was to give full independence to the media. Respecting freedom of public expression, the DP encouraged everyone to exercise the rights of free expression of opinion, to publish and criticise whatever they wanted. Read more...

How free is Mongolia’s free press?
So what is the general status of press freedom in Mongolia the news dispensation? On the occation of Mongolia marking World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the Prime Minister, M.Enkhbold, said in his address to media journalists that freedom of the press is one of the country’s greatest achievements since the collapse of the socialist system.
“I would like to proudly emphasize that our journalists stood firm against social injustice and faced much hardship to develop a free system of the press, the fourth governance…I personally feel that press freedom should also mean democracy in the press system. Press freedom and the development of its internal democracy is one of the key policies of the government. Thus, our Government of National Unity supports and will continue to support freedom of the press”, he said. Read more...

3.Events
“Quality management in Public Service Broadcasting”
Open Society Forum NGO organized the workshop on “Quality Management in Public Service Broadcasting” in Ulaanbaatar from 7 to 9 May 2006. The seminar was attended by round 30 people, including the management of Mongolian National Public Radio and Television /MNPRT/. Antonio Riva, an experienced lawyer (and chairman of the Board of the Foundation, chairman of the Swiss National Sound Archives, media consultant in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, former CEO of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation) lectured the participants on international standards observed by the internet, media and broadcasting organizations. He acknowledged the quality of papers and documents produced by MNPRT’s National Council, such as the ethic rules of the National Council’s Committee. Read more...

New program policy –target of the Mongolian Public Television
What kind of changes has the appointment of Executive director of Mongolian Public Radio and Television brought about? From May 2006 Mongolian Public Radio is going to broadcast innovated programs, while Mongolian Public Television will launch its innovated programs in September. Notably, the year 2006 was proclaimed as a year of the English language..Read more...

Right to communicate: capacity-building of ethnic minority
Globe International organized 6 events and involved in total 182 participants in Bayan-Olgii aimag- the province located in the north west of Mongolia between 13- 20 April 2006. It was cooperated with Bayan-Olgii Office of the Governor and the Bayan-Olgii Brach of Confederation of Mongolian Journalists (CMJ) in the framework of the Communication and Information Programme, under authority of UNESCO Office Beijing in line with the “Right to communicate: capacity-building of ethnic minority broadcasting in Mongolia” initiative has organized the trip of UNESCO-selected consultants and conducted trainings for media practitioners in Bayan-Olgii province Read more...

The Mongolian media delegation visited Sweden
The Mongolian media delegation visited Stockholm by the invitation of the Swedish Government and organized by the Swedish Embassy in Beijing between 23 March and April 2, 2006 and hosted by. The delegation consisted from H.Naranjargal, President of Globe International, a Mongolian NGO working on freedoms of expression, information and media, L.Bayasgalan, reporter of Ardyn Erkh, daily newspaper, E. Bolorchuluun, media lawyer and Ch.Choisamba, Ph. D., Journalism professor from the Journalism Department of the Mongolian National University.
Goal of the visit was to learn the Swedish experiences of media freedom, particularly access to information, protection of sources and journalism ethics.
What said the delegates?
Ch.Choisamba, Ph. D., /Journalism professor from the Journalism Department of the Mongolian National University./
E. Bolorchuluun, media lawyer
More information about the Swedish media in Mongolian language can be obtained at
Ch.Choisamba, Ph. D., Journalism professor from the Journalism Department of the Mongolian National University
E. Bolorchuluun, media lawyer Read more...

The draft law on Freedom of Information under consideration
“If you are eager for more information, you should appeal to our boss for permission”. These words are too familiar to Mongolian journalists seeking information from civil servants. This phenomenon will hopefully disappear with the adoption of Draft Law on Freedom of Information.
Unfortunately, the draft law has not been put on the agenda of Parliament’s spring session, which lasts less than 50 days (starting from 5 April). After the summer break Parliament’s autumn session starts on 1 October.Read more...

Co-production of Children’s Drama Series
The Children’s Program Item Exchange Meeting and Workshop of ABU has launched a drama exchange project aimed at improving the program production skills in each participating Asian country and region as well as promoting mutual understanding of the cultures and societies surrounding the children of the countries and regions.
This initiative involving six ABU members, each producing a 15 –minute children’s drama episode for children aged 7-9 years based on a common theme. All participating members bear the cost of production for their own episodes. Once all episodes are completed by December 2005, participating members receive the other five episodes free for broadcast.Read more...

4.Trainings

Training for journalists of Mongolian National Public Radio and TV
Location: Mongolian National Public RTV
Date: 21 April 2006
Trainer: Rose Kudabayava, BBC
Summary: Training took place over the two hours. The aim was to familiarize Mongolian journalists, particularly journalists from news service of the Mongolian National Public Radio and Television with the character and various types of the defamation and libel cases which mostly occurs when producing news items in the BBC.Read more...

Locals had informed on right to know and access to information
“Sacred Stupa”, a Mongolian civil movement devoted to nature protection, conducted a workshop from 23-25 March for the residents of Ulziit, Batsengel, and Ugiinuur sumuns of Arkhangai province. The workshop dealt with such issues as environmental protection, enhancement of water use and the way citizens’ right to information is protected by law. Local subdivisions of the civil movement with several newly recruited members were set up during the workshop.Read more...

Cover the topic through the eyes of people who affected by the issue...
Mongolia’s Press Institute in conjunction with Thompson Foundation based in UK ran 3 courses on coverage of environmental issues from 27 March to 25 April 2006 in Ulaanbaatar. Russell Line, a fellow teacher, lectured journalists from print, radio and TV as to how to make stories both relevant and understandable to readers, viewers and listeners.
About 90 journalists attended the training. According to Press Institute’s survey, the participants evaluated the training content as “excellent” as well as both practical and theoretical, and said that they put training-added knowledge such as BBC’s interview and report methods, news structure principles to use in their further work. Read more...

We do not give our opinion, we just give the facts
James Walker, Knight international press fellow, was in Mongolia for 6 months to the end of April. He came here to teach student journalists and also to work with journalists at various television stations. This organization sends journalists, television reporters, graphic experts to emerging democracies around the world. His 1st fellowship was 3 months in Belgrade, another 3 months in Zagreb, Croatia.
I worked at the new channel “One”, which is supposed to go on the air yesterday, today, tomorrow. I spend a lot of time working there. And I stopped because it was proving to be a greater challenge than I could meet. These are journalists who are young journalists and it was their 1st job. And it was very difficult to suggest to them there might be a better way to do television reporting. And then for about the last 6 weeks (3 days a week, sometimes on Saturday and Sunday) I’ve been working with reporters at Mongolian Public Television (i.e. MM Agency). Read more...

5.Other news

Journalists organization turns 55
The 55 th birthday of the Confederation of Mongolian journalists (CMJ) was marked on May 5 with a press conference, ceremony, concert and banquet. The CMJ said that it was planning to set up an Ethics Council as exists in many other countries, to keep a check on how journalists write about issues and how the public reacts, to improve public access to balanced information.
Prime Minister M.Enkhbold sent a statement, reading” In the last decade, press has chosen to be free, democratic and ethical and is developing and reforming as the fourth estate in society. I have no doubt that Mongolian journalists will continue to distribute information to guide society.”
There were meetings of journalists to discuss the rights of access to information and protect information sources, agreeing to call for the repeal of a number of libel and slander-related clauses in the criminal law. On World Press freedom Day, the Mongolian Newspaper’s Association declared the establishment of Mongolian Free Journalists Union.
By Adiyasuren, “Mongol Messenger” weekly newspaper, Wednesday, May 10, 2006

President met journalist
On March 31, President N.Enkhbayr met journalist Ch.Erdene, whose book “Big Triangle” sparked much debate. Ch.Erdene gave the president a copy of his latest book, named Principles of Mathematics, saying that he had researched the subject for eight years and claiming that it would revolutionize fundamental science.
He said he planned to send copies to the world’s top 200 tertiary institutions as his contribution to the world’s top 200 tertiary institutions as his contribution to his year’s 800th anniversary celebrations.
Source: Messenger 2006. April 05