Draft of RDTL Media Law reported by Parliament Committee A on 2 May 2014
Page 8
Rough translation by La’o Hamutuk. See http://www.laohamutuk.org/misc/MediaLaw/14MediaLaw.htm for original and other materials.
Article 20
Duties
1. It is the duty of the journalist to:
a) Contribute to a free and democratic society, combating any restriction on freedom of expression,
freedom of the press or any other form of restriction on citizens’ right to information;
b) Contribute to the development of society by informing citizens in an educational, honest and
responsible way in order to promote the creation of enlightened public opinion;
c) Defend the plurality of opinions, ensuring the ability of expression of different currents of opinion
and respect for citizens’ cultural, religious and ethnic diversity;
d) Exercise their profession freely and with independence, without other major interests beyond the
right of public understanding;
e) Always observe the personal rights of citizens, including protecting their honor, dignity and
privacy, except when there is an obvious and unequivocal cause to defend the public interest;
f) Respect the presumption of innocence of legal defendants until the final judgment of the courts;
g) Exercise their activity with respect for ethical principles of the profession, complying with the rules
contained in the Code of Ethics of Journalists.
2. Violation of the duties prescribed in the preceding paragraph is an infraction punishable by a
fine of $500 to $1,500.
Article 21
Code of Ethics
The Code of Ethics of Journalists is approved by the Press Council, having consulted journalists, and
binds all professionals in the exercise of their activity.
CHAPTER IV
MEDIA ORGANS AND MEANS
Article 22
Creation of media bodies
1. The role of the media is to inform, educate and entertain, contributing to an informed society and
diverse public opinion.
2. Every citizen has the freedom to establish a media body, in the form of a commercial company created
under the law.
3. The state has the right to create public service media under the law.
4. The state and citizens are free to create news agencies for the dissemination of information at national
and international level.
Article 23
Nonprofit media
Community, membership-based, denominational and doctrinal media will be regulated by law.
Article 24
Foreign capital
The participation of foreign natural or legal persons in the ownership of a media body may not
exceed 30% of the share capital of the respective body.