Reaching the minimum staff number is not enough: who may not be counted is also definite. Article 20 establishes a wide list of prohibitions in three paragraphs.
The First Paragraph: Owners and Managers
The owner of the newspaper or internet news site, or the representative of the legal person determined under the provisions of Law No. 5187 where there is one, together with the following, may not appear in the intellectual worker staff of publications belonging to themselves or to others:
| Type of company | Those who may not enter the staff |
|---|---|
| A general partnership | The partners |
| An ordinary limited partnership | The active partners |
| A partnership limited by shares | The active partners |
| A shipping joint venture | The shareholders |
| A limited liability company | The partners representing the company and the company managers |
| A joint stock company | The partners authorised to represent the company and the members of the board of directors and of the board of auditors |
| A cooperative (Added: Official Gazette 6/3/2024-32481) | The manager, the members of the board of directors and of the board of auditors and the persons authorised to represent it |
The Second Paragraph: Relatives
The mother, father, spouse, natural and step-children, adopted child and the mother and father of the spouse of the natural person owner of newspapers and internet news sites connected with the publication of official announcements, and of the members serving in the management or audit organs of legal persons, may not appear in the staff of the newspaper or internet news site concerned.
| Relationship | May they enter the staff? |
|---|---|
| Mother, father | No |
| Spouse | No |
| Natural and step-children | No |
| Adopted child | No |
| The mother and father of the spouse | No |
- Those meeting the graduation condition in Art. 19/1-a - graduates of a communication faculty or of a relevant undergraduate, master's or doctoral programme,
- Relatives holding a press card in the capacity of an intellectual worker.
We cover the qualifications of those who may enter the staff in the editorial staff guide.
The Third Paragraph: Students, Soldiers, Those on Unpaid Leave
(Added: Official Gazette 6/3/2024-32481) - Those who are students in daytime education, or in evening education in another province (excluding open and distance education), those called up to perform military service and those taking unpaid leave may not appear in the intellectual worker staff.
| Situation | May they enter the staff? |
|---|---|
| A student in daytime education | No |
| A student in evening education in another province | No |
| A student in open and distance education | Yes - expressly excluded |
| A person called up for military service | No |
| A person taking unpaid leave | No |
Together with the Staff Conditions - Art. 18/2
In addition to the prohibitions in Art. 20, the following are compulsory for the intellectual workers to be shown in the staff:
- That their employment contracts be made in writing and full-time in conformity with Law No. 5953
- That their wages be paid completely and in advance on a full-day and full-month basis, in conformity with their contracts (Amended: Official Gazette 10/12/2025-33103)
- That they actually do the work corresponding to the duties stated in their contracts
- That their social security notifications and premiums and the tax accruals relating to their wages be made within the statutory period and completely
- That they do not engage in a commercial business that will provide them with a benefit and do not engage in any activity outside the profession of journalism
- That they reside in the place of publication or the quota place of the publication where they work
Summary
The owner, the representative of the legal person and, according to the type of company, the partners, managers and members of the boards of directors and of auditors listed may not appear in the intellectual worker staff - neither in their own publications nor in those of others. The mother, father, spouse, natural and step-children, adopted child and the mother and father of the spouse of the owner and of the managers may also not appear in the staff; but relatives who are communication graduates or press card holders are outside that prohibition. By the paragraph added in 2024, daytime students, soldiers and those on unpaid leave may also not be taken into the staff.