Globe International, NGO completed the project “Cooperation with Media to Raise Public Awareness on ASM Issues” to facilitate the implementation of the awareness development activities on ASM through media. SAM hired Globe International, a media development NGO to render the specific tasks outlined in the contract for a period June 2012 through October 2012. The project is a part of larger public raising activities of the SDC’s Sustainable Artisanal Mining Project which is envisaged that accurate public information on ASM will stimulate a positive understanding and influence appropriate policy debates to continuously improve the situation of ASM in Mongolia. The specific project was aimed to encourage debate, raise awareness on current status and challenges of artisanal small scale mining, to enhance understanding on ASM amongst the Mongolian public.
The project has produced a total of 32 media materials focusing on the specific components of each topic. Media productions published and aired by in total, 14 media outlets that included 6 local newspapers, four national dailies and four national television channels. The media productions were developed in various journalism genres such as article, interview, television news stories and discussions.
The present project achieved its aim to contribute to facilitate the implementation of the awareness development activities on ASM through media. All the three main topics: Who are the artisanal and small scale miners and their contribution to the economy, SSMs guarantee of rights and legal framework and ASM in the future have been covered by the media involved to the project. However, it is still need to continue the public awareness activities and use the media for it. In order to produce more impact in the society, we recommend
· To analyze the impact of the media outputs and define the proper indicators to measure it
· To develop the information and communication strategy including the traditional and new media and other means of information distribution and by involving the representatives of the media, PR experts and marketers.
· As a part of the IC strategy, develop the structured messages and contextualized information to be delivered through media and other means of information distribution
· Use new media for the public awareness campaigning
· Train the journalists, particularly the local journalists. if the local journalists are informed and educated on the SAM issues, the impact of the local advocacy will be better provided. News reporters and current affairs’ journalists of the national mainstream media should be educated. It is important to build awareness of larger group of journalists instead of working with a few informed journalists
· As a part of the IC strategy, conduct the information seeking patterns of the artisanal miners and seek tools to provide the voices of the artisanal miners. Community media can be such a tool.
· To effectively use the current media market analysis for the media campaigning