R.Oyuntsetseg, Press Institute

Censorship exists because the job descriptions of the media owners and editors are not clearly developed. The media owner indicates and instructs what should be published; in other words, he or she directly influences her or his editor. That is why the media owner is engaged in the topics that the reporter should write. The economic situation of the newspaper also affects the publication policy.

There are editorial guidelines in Western journalism that clearly distinguish the jobs of the owner and editor. The media owner is responsible more for the strategy and policy, and it is prohibited to interfere with the editor’s activities. This may be because we do not talk much about the ethical principles and work criteria which clarify the tasks of the owner and editor. It is difficult to fight censorship when the media is fully dependent on its owner.