Although the journalistic organizations of Mongolia have many journalistic ethical principles and codes ratified, there is no mechanism for those involved take account and responsibility and to control the realization of the ethical principles and codes.
On May 3, on the eve of the World Press Freedom Day, the Press Institute of Mongolia held a survey on journalists’ ethical principles. By observing the media publications and programming they tried to rate how journalists followed the above mentioned codes and principles within their respected work. There were 8 daily newspapers, 3 free newspapers, 6 television stations and 2 radio stations that participated in the survey and analyzed the news and publications at random.
There were six issues that Mongolian journalists constantly failed to meet the standards of the principles.
First mistake: Putting their own opinion in the news
Every other article in free print news and every fifth news piece of radio and television and every 10th news article of the daily newspapers, journalists blatantly used their own opinion as news. For instance one of our popular daily newspapers stated, “The real criminal, the one behind it all, the former minister N.Altankhuyag made statements and displayed his ‘secret’” … this journalist made a private conclusion and put their own opinion as fact.
Second mistake: Content of the news twisted by titles and pictures
We observed that newspapers who have an interest to enhance sales and profits, want to attract the readers by the titles of news. For this reason they publish news which contains twisted titles and content. Some TV channels aired news where the image and texts are inappropriate. For example: In the TV program on HIV/AIDS the image was of young people walking on the street.
Third mistake: Publishing unconfirmed news and rumors
The newspapers tend to publish news unconfirmed by facts and sources. In the newspapers it is widespread that words with hypothesis such as maybe, possible, rumors, must be, perhaps etc. 60 percent news of the “Humuus” and 10 percent of “Seruuleg” free newspapers were not proven and used hypothetical characters. In 2006’s ¹ 246 issue of the free newspaper ‘Notstoi medee,’ an interview was published with a ’13 year old pregnant street girl who lives underground.’ Another interview, with the title ‘I am with my husband go away,’ contained no facts and was hard to believe. By reading this interview it was hard to believe how the girl behaved. Even adults couldn’t behave like that girl.
Fourth mistake: Continuing to violate the principle to respect people and protecting personal privacy.
Every second article of the newspapers and every third news piece of the television stations were based on private opinions from the journalists. Most of the cases concerning the journalists involved defamation. Journalists face the courts because of assault on the reputations of such people like political officials, athletes and prominent cultural figures. It doesn’t mean that these people should not be written about. Journalists should inform the public about prominent people, but it is important to avoid the use of opinion by proclaiming and discriminating their reputation, nationality, origin, religion, opinion and race. Newspapers widely used proclamations such as political prostitution, godfather of corruption, century’s best swindler, money machine, sex bomb and so on.
Fifth mistake: Unbalanced thoughts on political issues
This kind of mistake is clear when one event is read in two different newspapers on the same day. During the survey we observed that media outlets had different approaches to the issue concerning the political subject. For example, President N. Enkhbayar was portrayed positively in the daily newspapers “Unuudriin Mongol,” and “Zuunii medee.” But “Udriin sonin”, “Seruuleg” newspapers were negative, while “Ardiin erkh,” and “Mongoliin medee,” were of a neutral position.
Sixth mistake: Airing hidden advertisements
TV news program hours should only consist of news. However in recent years our television stations, under the umbrella TV program “business news,” air all kinds of hidden advertisements during news programming.
Televisions are airing at least 2-3 hidden advertisements a day during TV news hours. The percentage of hidden advertisements was highest on MN25 and TV 5 stations. The hidden advertisements promoting particular organizations and products were also illustrated on the front page of multiple newspapers.