The legal route to publishing a newspaper is gathered in a single article and is shorter than people assume: Art. 7 of Press Law No. 5187 treats the filing of a declaration as sufficient.
The Text
Art. 7 opens: for periodicals to be published, it is sufficient that a declaration be filed with the public prosecutor's office of the place where the place of management is located, in order to be recorded. The records kept by the public prosecutor's office are public.
What Goes in the Declaration?
The same article lists the contents. The declaration is signed by the owner of the publication - or, where the owner is a minor or a legal person, by the representative - and by the responsible editor, and shows:
| Item | Explanation |
|---|---|
| The name and nature of the publication | The newspaper's name and character |
| The intervals of publication | Daily, weekly, monthly and so on |
| The place of management | The address of the offices |
| The owner's name and address | And the representative's, where there is one |
| The responsible editor's name and address | Who must meet the conditions in Art. 5 |
| The type of publication | National, regional or local |
| The electronic service address | Added by Law No. 7418 |
Documents to Be Annexed
The article also lists the annexes: documents showing the existence of the conditions written in Arts. 5 and 6 are annexed to the declaration, together with a copy of the articles of association, memorandum or foundation deed where the owner is a legal person.
The public prosecutor's office issues a receipt showing that the declaration and its annexes have been delivered. Keep that receipt: an approved copy of it is required for press card and official announcement applications.
The Order of Steps
- Choose the responsible editor. They must meet the six conditions in Art. 5.
- Settle the ownership structure. It may be a natural person, a legal person or a public institution (Art. 6).
- Choose the publication type. The definitions of national, regional and local are in Art. 2.
- Obtain an electronic service address. It is a mandatory item on the declaration.
- File the declaration with the prosecutor's office for the place where your place of management is located.
- Keep the receipt.
After the Declaration: Two Periods
After Publication Begins
- Imprint. The mandatory information in Art. 4 is shown on every issue.
- Delivery. Under Art. 10 the printer delivers two signed copies of every publication printed to the public prosecutor's office of the locality on the day of distribution or publication.
- Notification of changes. Under Art. 8 every change in the content of the declaration is notified to the same authority within two weeks by a new declaration.
We prepared a completed specimen of the declaration with an item-by-item explanation in the declaration guide.
Summary
- No permission or licence is required to publish a newspaper.
- Filing a declaration with the public prosecutor's office for the place of management is sufficient.
- Seven items are shown on the declaration, condition documents and - for a legal person - the articles of association are annexed, and a receipt is issued in return.