The mahreç — the source attribution — is the statement showing where a piece of content came from. Article 24 of the Regulation on Official Announcements and Advertisements lists in four sub-paragraphs which attribution is to be used in which situation, and makes them compulsory.
Four compulsory cases (Art. 24(1))
| Source of the content | Attribution to be written | Sub-para. |
|---|---|---|
| Content produced by the persons declared on the roster | The name of the member of editorial staff who owns the content | (a) |
| Press statements, communiqués and bulletins prepared by public institutions and organisations, municipalities and their subsidiaries, local administrations, political parties and NGOs | The attribution of the institution or organisation concerned | (b) |
| News obtained under contract against a copyright or subscription fee | The name of the person or news agency concerned | (c) |
| Content in which information is gathered and compiled into news by editorial staff | The words “news desk” | (ç) |
Read together, the logic of the four becomes clear: every piece of content has a source and the reader must be able to see it. If a news item carries no byline, who produced it is unclear; the legislation does not accept that uncertainty.
Why it matters: proof of your own production
The attribution is not merely a formal rule; it is direct proof of your content conditions. Under Article 23(e) at least one sixth of the content must consist of news produced by the editorial staff shown on the roster.
The way to demonstrate that proportion on inspection is the correct use of attribution under sub-paragraph (a). Which item was produced by a rostered member of staff is read from the attribution; without it the proportion cannot be proved.
There is a further condition for those employing columnists: columns by those writers on social subjects must be published at least once every seven days. That too is evidenced by the byline.
Two ceilings on reproduction (Art. 24(2)–(3))
Article 24 permits content to be carried over from other sources but sets two separate limits:
| Measure | Limit | Paragraph |
|---|---|---|
| Total volume carried over | May not exceed 10% of the news count or surface area | Art. 24(2) |
| From a single news item or column | At most 30% may be reproduced | Art. 24(3) |
Under the second paragraph, material may be carried over from the internet and from periodical or non-periodical publications on condition that the name and other necessary information are stated as the source. The condition for reproduction is therefore the attribution; reproduction without it is irregular from the outset.
The copyright side (Art. 24(4))
The fourth paragraph recalls the second legal dimension of the same act: in content in which quotation is used, the name of the publication quoted and other necessary information must be stated clearly under the relevant provisions of Law No. 5846 on Intellectual and Artistic Works.
The attribution is required by the official announcement legislation and the credit by copyright law, and both must be satisfied at once.
Practical examples
| Situation | Example attribution |
|---|---|
| Item by a rostered reporter | The reporter’s name and surname |
| Municipal press bulletin | The attribution of the municipality concerned |
| Agency item taken on subscription | The name of the news agency |
| Item prepared by compilation | News desk |
| Reproduction from another publication | The name of the publication reproduced and other necessary information |
The relationship with the similarity rule
Attribution is also connected to the prohibition on similarity in Article 25. Similar content may not appear in two or more periodicals, whether in the same place or in different places; but content that is subject to a contract is not taken into account in establishing similarity.
An agency item whose attribution is correctly written and which also appears in other publications is therefore not treated as similarity. See the similar content guide.
Conclusion
Attribution is compulsory in four cases: the name of the member of editorial staff for rostered production, the institution’s attribution for institutional bulletins, the name of the person or agency for contractually obtained news, and the words “news desk” for compiled items.
Reproduction may be made by stating the source, but there is a limit of 10% in total and 30% from a single item, and reproductions do not count as original content. The attribution is at the same time the proof, on inspection, of your share of rostered production.