The Mongolia National Media Conference has been organized in Ulaanbaatar on October 29 to discuss a stock of issues affecting media development and sustainability in Mongolia.
This event is organized by the Mongolian specialized NGO Globe International Center (GIC) and the UNESCO Beijing Office in collaboration with media representatives, the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO, the Government, and the office of the President as well as specialized national and international media organizations.
The Mongolia National Media Conference has provided an opportunity to hold a discussion on media policy reform, freedom of expression, pluralism and diversity of the media, legal environment of broadcast and online media, the role of the professional associations, media self-regulation, media accountability, right to reply and gender sensitivity while reporting.
Mongolia has a law of press freedom, and freedom of expression is protected by the Constitution. It has created satisfactory environment to develop independent media, however its implementation is in poor condition, according to the Globe International Center.
The number of media means in Mongolia has sharply increased in the last 20 years. As of today, 555 press and media organizations permanently operate in Mongolia. Majority of these media institutions are funded by political and business circle. Due to this circumstance, unhealthy competition is developed. Therefore, journalists are intending to develop a draft law that will legalize matters of censorship, no restriction of freedom of expression and information, and source secrecy etc.
The Mongolia National Media Conference is a multi-stakeholder forum to participatory review the draft Media Development Assessment of Mongolia which has been carried out by the Globe International Center in collaboration with the Mongolian Journalists’ Association, Press Institute and Transparency Fund NGO