COMPETITION “WHO DOES NEED SUCH LAW”?

Dear colleagues,

Please, read some excerpts from the new bill on amendments to media law.

«Article2. Freedom of speech, receiving and imparting information

“Propaganda, for the purposes of this Law, means dissemination of views, facts, arguments and other information, including deliberately distorted ones, in the mass media, to shape a positive public opinion about information prohibited by this Law and (or) to induce committing an unlawful action and (or) inaction of an unlimited number of persons.”

Article18. Official messages

A holder of information, upon a written request received from the mass media seeking to clarify the presented official messages, is obliged to respond no later than within two working days, from the day of registration of the request, in the order established by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, or to reply indicating the time frames for response or a reason for refusal.”

Article 18-1. The procedure for the provision and distribution information to the media

1. Mass media that registered by an authorized body has the right to apply to an information holder with request to provide information which is not included in an official message.

A reply to this request should be provided within fifteen calendar days from the date of receipt of such request.

Article 19. Right to refute or react

3. A citizen or a legal entity about which the mass media publish information infringing on his rights or legitimate interests, has right to publish his reaction in the same mass media, free of charge.

The reaction of a citizen or a legal entity is presented in or transmitted by the media within five calendar days from the day of receiving from the person or his authorized representative a request to exercise his right to react.

Article 21. Duties of journalist      

Journalistis obliged to the following:

3-1) receive consent from a person or his legal representative for disclosure in the media personal, family, medical, banking, commercial and other information protected by law, unless the official sources contain this information and (or) it was distributed by a person himself or his legal representative in the sources an access to which is not limited.”

(Full version of the bill in Russian at http://www.adilsoz.kz/bill/show/id/28 )

What is your opinion regarding the amendments? How they may help journalism and society? Who are the beneficiaries of them?

We invite you to express your opinion in different audio- or visual forms. We will widely distribute them online. Individuals expressing the most interesting opinions will be awarded by prizes.  

MPs will start to work on the bill this September. Let’s let them know what journalists think of the bill.

Please express your opinion and send questions to info@adilsoz.kz or call us +7-7272-91-04-37 (land line); +7-707-700-1322 (cell).