Yes. The Press Card Regulation deals with internet news sites under a separate heading: the conditions the site must satisfy are in Article 18, and the eligible job titles and quota in Article 27.
The Quota: Tied to the Number of Insured Staff
The second paragraph of Article 27 sets the quota in three tiers, measured by the number of staff insured under Law No. 5953:
| Staff insured under Law 5953 | Press cards issued |
|---|---|
| 4 staff | Owner or legal person representative + 4 staff |
| 5 – 9 staff | Owner or legal person representative + 9 staff |
| 10 and above | No quota limit |
The scope of Law 5953 is covered in the news site article.
Conditions the Site Must Satisfy (Art. 18)
Even where the individual qualifies, no card is issued if the site does not. Article 18 lists seven items:
- Submitting to the Directorate a certified copy of the declaration filed under Law No. 5187 and of the public prosecutor's receipt
- Being dedicated to the purpose of sharing news
- Meeting the minimum staff requirement under Law 5953 in the numbers set out in Article 27
- Keeping the publication continuously accessible save for force majeure and legal restrictions
- Carrying daily news or comment content that is original and current
- Where content is quoted under a subscription or a royalty payment, identifying the source publication
- Fulfilling the notification obligation in Article 36 on a change of workplace and/or job title
It is also required that the page layout, headlines, text and visual content are not verbatim copies of another publication — even one belonging to the same person.
Traffic Is Also Assessed
The third paragraph of Article 35 adds a measure specific to internet news sites: where the applicant is a member of staff at an internet news site, the site's unique visitor count and page view count are also taken into account.
The site's traffic is therefore an element in the commission's assessment. This criterion does not exist for other media types.
Which Job Titles Are Eligible?
The first paragraph of Article 27 gives a long list of titles. The principal ones: owner or legal person representative, editor-in-chief, internet publication manager, responsible editor, editorial manager, intelligence and news desk chief, internet news manager / editor / sub-editor, lead columnist and columnist, reporter, photojournalist, representative reporter, visual director, cartoonist, readers' representative, news cameraman, news presenter, editing operator, video editor and social media editor.
Bottom Line
Internet news site staff can obtain press cards. The quota is 4, 9 or unlimited depending on the number of staff insured under Law 5953. The site must additionally satisfy the requirements on the declaration, dedication to news, continuous accessibility and original content; and the site's traffic is taken into account in the commission's assessment.