In 1990, Mongolia’s peaceful, democratic revolution ushered unprecedented press freedom into the small country. In the intervening 26 years, the media has expanded rapidly, currently boasting nearly 500 media outlets for a population of three million. This abundance hasn’t necessarily bolstered democracy–news is frequently bought and paid for by politicians, and unchecked freedom of speech can lead to libelous, uncorroborated journalism.
In this video, Lhagva Erdene (Mongol TV) and Bola Zaankhuu (Eagle TV) describe the state of the Mongolian media and their efforts to bring high journalistic standards to Mongolia. The video is the fourth in the series Young Mongols, an effort to update the world’s perception of Mongolia through the stories of its inspiring young people.
Aubrey Menard holds degrees in Politics from Smith College and the University of Oxford. She lives in Ulaanbaatar and works on extractive sector governance in Mongolia. Find her on twitter at @AubreyMenard