130 journalists participated in the survey on “Ethic codes and self-regulation in the media”. The survey was presented by Mr T. Batzorig, program director of MNPRTV, at the Meeting to Discuss Journalists’ Ethic Code held in 6 June 2006.
Personnel of the Mongolian National Public Radio and TV (MNPRTV) discussed about approving their own ethical principles and to establish an Ethics Committee or Consul which would control the realization of these principles.
“We held an opinion poll on this topic among our personnel. All journalists and creative artists are in agreement that with unethical and irresponsible behavior, it will negatively affect our authority and thus tend to loose the public’s trust, this is the positive result of the poll.”
Journalists are in agreement to have an ethics code, that’s why we are very eager to share this poll’s results. But 60 percent of the journalists who participated in the poll, expressed their hesitation whether they could follow it, that is the negative result of the poll. It is apparent that they are cautious on whether they will follow the ethical principles or not. Due to the low salaries that journalists get, some tend to get financial support from other organizations when they going to out and are resolving their social problems. In fact they fear that they ought to serve those organizations.
To work responsibly as journalists and creative artists, we need to incorporate these requirements
1. Increase salary
2. Enhance journalists’ education
3. To enhance knowledge of the ethics code
More than 40 percent of the respondents were in agreement to have ethical rules which would concern all Mongolian journalists. They also agreed with the Mongolian Journalist’s Confederation Union’s ethical code. The remaining 40 percent of MNPRT staff prefer the organization to have its own ethical code that would reflect it’s own professional nature.
More than 30 percent of the respondents thought they should have their own Ethics committee. Our journalists also raised the idea of having an Ethics committee that would work actively on its own initiatives and informally. Due to fears that the Committee would censor some of the journalists, they were against having it.