Team
MOM Team
Karin Deckenbach is project manager for the Reporters without Borders project "Media Ownership Monitor” in Mongolia. Before joining RSF she worked many years as journalist, editor and foreign correspondent based in Singapore, Bangkok, Madrid and Washington DC. From 2013 to 2016 she worked as Component Leader “Civil Society & Media” for an EU Police Reform project in Myanmar to strongly link police reform efforts with civil society and the media. She also worked as Head of Press and Public Information for two leading German NGOs in the fields of social politics and environmental conservation specializing on climate change and renewable energies. Karin holds a Diploma / MA in Political Science from Philipps University in Marburg, Germany.
Munkhmandakh Myagmar is the Executive Director of the Ulaanbaatar based Press Institute of Mongolia (PIM) since 2003. The PIM is a leading Mongolian Media NGO that researches mass information in modern society, trains Mongolian journalists, monitors the rights of journalists and media and is lobbying for media-reforms. Prior to leading the PIM, Ms. Munkhmandakh worked as research expert and Head of Research Department of the Press Institute. Ms. Munkhmandakh holds a PhD from the German University of Leipzig for her researches on Mongolian media development.
Gunjidmaa Gongor is Head of Research for the Press Institute of Mongolia (PIM) since 2003 and has been working for PIM since 2001. Her main responsibilities include coordination of media research projects being implemented at the PIM. She holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Finance and Economy in Ulaanbaatar. Ms. Gunjidmaa worked as Head of Research for MOM Mongolia.
Ganchimeg Namsrai is senior researcher with PIM and MOM. Having particular interest in legal regulations of media, she graduated National University of Mongolia and Shikhikhutug University. Ms. Ganchimeg has gained practical experience during work as research manager at the Research institute IRIM. She has been in the field of media analysis for more than eight years and conducted research to support projects of the Open Society Institute, World Bank, Deutsche Welle Akademie, International Republican Institute, the Asia Foundation, the Swiss Agency for International Development and many more.
Punsantsogvoo Dulamsuren is researcher with PIM and MOM. She holds a degree in Sociology from the Mongolian National University. Her professional interests include: freedom of speech, right to information, increasing access to information through digitization of periodical publications. For MOM she was responsible for researching ownership structures of top TV channels.
Munkhburen Dash is a lawyer and a member of the Mongolian Bar Association. She has been working at Globe International Center – a nonprofit NGO. She has produced more than 20 publications, fliers, handbooks and citizen`s guidebooks and has translated the handbook for journalists: Free and Fair, under the US Embassy funding. Munkhburen contributed as legal consultant for MOM Mongolia and compiled the assessment of laws with implications on media.
Lisa-Maria Kretschmer works as Project Coordinator and Head of Research Media Ownership Monitor, and is responsible for the project implementation in the Philippines.
Previously, she has worked in the field of human rights and resilience, amongst others for the German Development Agency (giz) and a Member of the German Parliament. In 2011, she supported an international research project on the role of media in conflict at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich. This experience now contributes to her work for MOM as much as her previous positions in communications departments & agencies (profit & non-profit) for creating public awareness for human rights concerns. She studied political communication, journalism and economics in Germany (LMU Munich, FU Berlin), The Netherlands, Denmark and Israel.
Olaf Steenfadt heads the "Media Ownership Monitor" project and the "Journalism Trust Initiative" at the press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders, RSF. For many years, he has been engaged as a consultant and coach in media development cooperation. Mandates of international organizations and NGOs lead him primarily to Southeast Europe and the Arab world. He previously worked for national German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF in various roles, including as a radio and TV presenter, investigative reporter, domestic and foreign correspondent, as well as in format development and corporate communication. Olaf is a member of the "High-level Expert Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation" of the European Commission and of the "Committee of Experts on Quality of Journalism in the Digital Age" at the Council of Europe. He teaches frequently at universities in Germany and Europe.
Profile Press Institute of Mongolia
The Press Institute of Mongolia (PIM) is a well-established non-governmental organization which has been working towards the development of a professional and independent media in Mongolia since its establishment in 1996. Based in Ulaanbaatar, PIM focuses its activities on media training, media research and the provision of information services for the public and media.
Before becoming MOMs local partner in Mongolia, the Press Institute’s research team has implemented over 70 short and long term research projects on media related issues in Mongolia. In particular, the annual Media Monitoring Project which provides up-to-date statistical data has cemented PIMs reputation as an independent authority on media issues. PIM has expertise in media content evaluation and regularly conducts election monitoring projects. This research has demonstrated significant bias in election coverage by the media outlets investigated.
The Press Institute has successfully implemented the following projects funded by foreign and international aid agencies: “Free press” project (Danish International Development Agency, 1995-1999); "Media and Advocacy Activities on the national level", (UNDP 1996-1999); “Consolidation of Democracy through Strengthening of Journalism” (UNDP 1997-2000); "Development of Responsibility and Pluralism in Mongolian Media through Improvement of Professional Standards of Journalism”, (European Union through TACIS program, 1999-2001); “Journalism and media in Mongolia: Monitoring Mongolian media” (DANIDA,1999-2002), Support to strategic development” (OSI, Media Program 2003 – 2004), “Photo journalism education development project” (UNESCO, 2004-2005). “Implementation of Public Service Broadcasting Law”, (Asia Foundation and Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation, 2005), Media sector analysis in Mongolia (UNESCO, 2006), Preservation of rare periodical publications, (British Library&Lisbet Rausing Charitable Fund, 2005-2007), Monitoring of Public Service Broadcasting programming in its transition period, (Open Society Forum, 2007-2008), Developing media criticism capacity in Mongolia (OSI, 2010-2011), Developing training resources on Sustainable development issues for journalists (UNESCO 2013) etc.
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders (Reporter Sans Frontières, RSF) was founded in Montpellier (France) in 1985 by four journalists. It is is registered in France as a non-profit organization and has consultant status at the United Nations and UNESCO. RSF advocates for media freedom, supports independent media and protects endangered journalists worldwide. Its missions are
- To continuously monitor attacks on freedom of information worldwide;
- To denounce any such attacks in the media;
- To act in cooperation with governments to fight censorship and laws aimed at restricting freedom of information;
- To morally and financially assist persecuted journalists, as well as their families.
- To offer material assistance to war correspondents in order to enhance their safety.
Since 1994, the German section is active in Berlin. Although the German section works closely with the International Secretariat in Paris to research and evaluate media freedom worldwide, it is organizationally and financially independent. In that role, it has applied for a grant at the federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development – in order to finance the Media Ownership Monitor project.
Global Media Registry
The Global Media Registry (GMR) collects, compiles and provides – either publicly available or self-reported – datasets and contextual information on media outlets around the world.
In doing so, the objective is to enhance transparency, accountability and responsibility in the information space. Thus, the GMR facilitates better choices and decision making, both algorithmic and human, of all stakeholders. These may include every citizen and consumer, regulators and donors, as well as the private sector – for example advertisers and intermediaries (a. k. a. platforms and distributors).
By providing this public service as a social enterprise, the Global Media Registry contributes to the advancement of the freedoms of information and expression at large.
It was founded as a spin-off from the Media Ownership Monitor project, which it now operates as a non-for-profit LLC registered under German law.