In the second reading, the Parliament fully adopted the package of draft laws on making changes and amendments in the Law on Mass Media, in the Civil Code and the Code on Administrative Offenses.
The “Civil Contract” faction of the National Assembly reported.
According to the proposed drafty, the media will not be released from responsibility in case of referring to fakes.
- The Law on Mass Media defines the concept of “non-identifiable source”
- The media operator shall not be released from liability for the dissemination of information if it is a reproduction of information disseminated by a non-identifiable source, regardless of the reference to that non-identifiable source;
- A list of identification data is mandatory for those who carry out media activities (in case of non-submission, an administrative penalty);
- The article on the financial transparency report has been re-edited, specifying the sources of funding and the report form (administrative penalty if not submitted);
- In the absence of identification data and failure to comply with the requirement to publish a report, accreditation of a journalist in state bodies is subject to denial.
The law will enter into force on 1 January, 2022.
The definition of non-identifiable sources is a novelty not only in the domestic legislation, but also in the international practice, which will help in the fight against illegal information.
