The readers’ representative — commonly known as the ombudsman — is the person who assesses readers’ complaints within the publication, and is recognised in the legislation as a separate title.
In Which Lists Does It Appear?
| Type of publication | Sub-paragraph | Present? |
|---|---|---|
| Daily political newspapers | Art. 19/1-m | Yes |
| Weekly political newspapers and magazines | Art. 20/1-m | Yes |
| Non-political newspapers and magazines | Art. 21/1-l | Yes |
| Internet news sites | Art. 27/1-m | Yes |
| Fortnightly and less frequent publications | Art. 22 | No |
| News and photo agencies | Art. 24 | No |
| Anadolu Agency | Art. 23 | No |
| TRT | Art. 25 | No |
| Radio and television | Art. 26 | No — the viewer representative instead (Art. 26/1-p) |
The Difference from the Viewer Representative
| Criterion | Readers’ representative | Viewer representative |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Newspapers, magazines, internet news sites | Radio and television |
| Sub-paragraph | Arts. 19/1-m, 20/1-m, 21/1-l, 27/1-m | Art. 26/1-p |
| Is the appointment compulsory? | No obligation in the Press Card Regulation | Addressed within the framework of the Law No. 6112 legislation |
We covered the viewer representative in whether appointing a viewer representative is required.
Is It Compulsory?
Its Relationship with the Right of Reply and Correction
Readers’ representation is a self-regulation mechanism; the right of reply and correction, by contrast, is a statutory right governed in Article 14 of Law No. 5187. The two do not replace one another.
Its Relationship with the Press Ethics Principles
The General Assembly Decision on the Press Ethics Principles, based on Article 49 of Law No. 195, is a binding self-regulation framework for publications publishing official announcements. We covered the detail in what the press ethics principles are.
Within the Quota
The readers’ representative is also within the quota determined according to the type and size of the publication. For example, in local daily political newspapers whose total page surface area is in the 0.60–0.79 m² range, a press card is given to the owner or the representative of the legal person and to three employees (Art. 19/2-c).
Conclusion
The readers’ representative (ombudsman) is listed in the Press Card Regulation among the titles that may obtain a press card at daily and weekly political newspapers, non-political newspapers and magazines and internet news sites. It does not appear in the lists for fortnightly publications, agencies, Anadolu Agency and TRT; in radio and television its counterpart is the viewer representative. The Regulation does not make the role compulsory.