Rules Governing the Publication of Newspapers, Magazines and other such Items

Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture, Malè, Maldives

Rules Governing the Publication of Newspapers, Magazines and other such Items

Registration of Newspapers, Magazines and other such Items

1.      The publication of newspapers, magazines and other such items by any means (handwritten, printed, photocopied, electronic, audio, video) must be undertaken after having them registered at the Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture. Similar items published and issued by students of government registered private schools, government schools and academic institutes concerning their academic work and used within the domains of such schools or institutes are not included among these.

2.      Newspapers, magazines and other such items will be registered when the Applicant (the Trustee), having written to the Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture, fills and submits the form issued by the Ministry.

3.      When submitting the registration form of newspapers, magazines and other such items, with reference to number (3) of Article 9(a) and Article 10 (d) and (e) of this Rule Book, a form issued by the Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture for checking information from relevant government authorities must be completed and submitted. Moreover the person assigned to become the Editor must submit a letter accepting the editorship.

4.      If the place proposed as the office of the newspaper, magazine and other such items is not registered on the name of the Trustee, a document must be submitted by the owner of the place saying he or she has no objection for assigning the place as an administrative agency.

5.      In accordance with Law number 70/4 (republic) (Law of affixing stamps on government documents) the Registry of newspapers, magazines and other such items must be affixed with a Ruifyaa 25/- revenue stamp.

6.      Newspapers, magazines and other such items will be registered for their issuance in sequel on a given timeframe.

(a)   Newspapers will be registered for their issuance on a daily or a weekly basis.

(b)   Other items excluding newspapers will be registered for their issuance on a weekly, twice monthly, monthly, 4 times a year, 3 times a year, twice a year or once a year basis.

7.      If the publication and issuance involves only one issue of a leaflet or a handbook released to mark a certain occasion, they need not be registered. However the issue must be submitted and approved by this Ministry before being issued.

The Registration Categories of Newspapers, Magazines and other such Items

8.         Newspapers, magazines and other such items will be registered on the following categories.

Leaflets

A Leaflet is a page or a number of pages written and published under a single topic by a single person or a single body providing information for the purpose of increasing public awareness.

Handbooks

A Handbook is a publication issued under a single topic giving technical information on how to carry out a given activity or work or something that briefly describes how something came to pass or the present status of something or a publication that increases awareness or gives information or advice about a given business or object.

Magazines

A Magazine is a publication – other than those issued on a daily basis – for entertainment and to give out information that includes news, reports, articles and stories on various topics written by different people, drawings and pictures. The name of the magazine must be written on the cover in big letters.  

Daily newspapers

A daily newspaper is a publication that includes various writings such as news, articles, reports and views as well as announcements and advertisements and is issued on a daily basis.

Weekly newspapers

A weekly newspaper is a publication that includes various writings such as news, articles, reports and views as well as announcements and advertisements and is issued on a weekly basis.

Newsletters

A newsletter is a publication that includes news about activities administered or carried out by a company or a private organization or an office or a publication which includes various news and information pertaining to such a body.

Trade Publications

A trade publication is issued to advertise a business and to give out news and information about business matters.

Comics

Comics are publications that display stories through drawings or photos for the purpose of entertainment.

Journals

Journals are prints issued to give out academic information about various subjects and include writings of learned people. Such writing must be checked and approved by the concerned fields before publication.

The Trustee

9.         The Trustee of a newspaper, magazine and other such items will be registered as a given individual or as a government body or as an organization, club, party or company registered to their respective government office.

(a)  A person shall be qualified to be registered as a Trustee on the following conditions

(1)  The Trustee must have attained 25 years of age.

(2)  The person must be a citizen of Maldives.

(3)  The person must not be convicted or punished on an offence for which a hadd [physical legal punishment] is prescribed in Islam, or on a breach of trust offence or an offence of using an intoxicating substance in the past 5 years and he or she must not have too many offences on his or her offence records.

(b)   Institutions such as clubs, organizations, parties, companies may only be registered as a Trustee to a newspaper, magazine or any such item if publication of newspapers and magazines is included among the institution’s functions.

 The Editor

10.       There must be an Editor registered at the Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture if newspapers, magazines and other such items are to be published. A person shall be qualified to be registered as an Editor of a newspaper or a magazine on the following conditions.

(a)  The Editor must have attained 25 years of age.

(b)  He or she must be a citizen of Maldives.

(c)  The Editor must have the academic qualifications required for an editorship and must have completed a journalism course or must have worked in journalism for a minimum of 5 years (when submitting for registration, academic certificates and journalism certificates or documents showing experience in the field must be submitted).

(d)   He or she must not be convicted or punished on an offence for which a hadd [physical legal punishment] is prescribed in Islam, or on a breach of trust offence or an offence of using an intoxicating substance in the past 5 years and he or she must not have too many offences on his or her offence records.

(e)   In the past 3 years the Editor should not have been convicted in a legal trial of an offence relating to any piece of writing he or she had written on his or her editorship of a newspaper, magazine or any such item or due to any other piece of writing the person had written even without being in charge of such a position.

The Publication of Newspapers and Magazines

11.       A supplement of a newspaper, magazine or any other such item must be issued inside the issue of publication. If the supplement is to be issued separately, it has to be submitted and approved by this Ministry prior to its issuance.

12.       Every issue of a newspaper, magazine or any such item must acknowledge an issue number, the date and its administrative agency.

13.       A copy of newspapers, magazines and other such items must be sent free of charge to the Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture within 3 days of issuance if in Malè and 20 days of issuance if issued in the atolls.

Writings and other Items published in newspapers and magazines

14.       It is prohibited to publish any news, photos, drawings, essays or any piece of writing in a newspaper, magazine or any such item that contradict the Laws of the Maldives. If such an item is published measures will be taken according to the Law violated in the case. The Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture has the discretion to propose the case to a relevant authority for investigation.

15.       It is prohibited to publish anything criticizing a pending bill or issue proposed and debated in the People’s Majlis before it had been concluded. If any action is carried out in breach of this, legal action will be taken.

16.       The Editor of a newspaper or magazine must take responsibility for any matter that arises due to a publication of the original or a translation of news or a piece of writing issued from a foreign newspaper or magazine or any such item or any news or information transmitted from the foreign media.

17.       In newspapers, magazines and other such items, a publicizing statement or a piece of writing by a foreign body that is to be published must clearly indicate the particular body who issued the statement or writing. Any writing whose writer is unknown will be considered as to be written on the part of the newspaper or magazine.

18.       The Editor of a newspaper or magazine or any such item or the person acting for that position, must take responsibility for any matter that arises due to a publication of an article or a statement from an unknown source.

19.       If any piece of writing published on a newspaper, magazine or any such item is based on original(s) written by someone else the titles(s) of the original work(s) and the writers’ name(s) must be acknowledged. And if the writing is a translation, the fact must be acknowledged along with the names of the original and its writer.

20.       If a writing published on a newspaper, magazine or any such item happens to be false, its responsibility must be taken by the writer. In this regard the writer will be fined Rufiyaa 100/- in the first instance, Rufiyaa 200/- in the second and Rufiyaa 300/- in the third.

21.       If any undesirable outcome arises due the publication of an article or a statement by a newspaper, magazine or any such item, measures will be taken against the writer of the article or the statement along with the Editor of the newspaper or the magazine according to the relative extent of the matter.

22.       It is prohibited to publish any article or statement by a newspaper, magazine or any such item relating to issues that may create religious dissent among people. Moreover the publication of any piece of writing, photo, advertisement or a drawing that may impair the Islamic character of Maldives in any way is prohibited. If any action is carried out in breach of this, legal action will be taken against the writer of the article along with the Editor of the newspaper or the magazine.

23.       In all writings published by newspapers and magazines, if the name of Allah or a verse of the Holy Koran or a Tradition of the Holy Prophet or a part of a verse or a Tradition is to be written it has to be written in Arabic script with all vowels intact for easy reading.

24.       Advertising services rendered by doctors and health services in the Maldives in the form of articles or any form of writing is prohibited.

25.       If a newspaper or magazine print false news or a false statement or such a cartoon that may harm fraternal relations enjoyed between the Maldives and any country it has diplomatic relations, especially Islamic countries, and having revised the extent of the matter the writer of the work along with the Editor of the newspaper or magazine will be fined Rufiyaa 100/- in the first instance, Rufiyaa 200/- in the second and Rufiyaa 300/- in the third. If any such action is carried out after the third fine the matter will be duly taken to court for a decision.

Prohibiting the issuance of newspapers, magazines and any such items and their dissolution

26.       If the Editor of the newspaper, magazine or any such item goes abroad, if he or she is legally detained or detained by the Shari’a, or encounters a situation whereby he or she is unable to take the responsibilities of the editorship or if the Editor resigns from office a designate must be assigned who will take editorship responsibilities from the outgoing Editor. The Trustee will thereby inform the Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture about the new assignment with a letter from the Editor Designate informing that he or she has no objection to take the office. 

27.       In the event of changing an Editor – having submitted the matter to the Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture – it is prohibited to continue the publication of the concerned newspaper or the magazine until a person taking the responsibility of the Editor or the new Editor is duly assigned to the post.

28.       If a Trustee of a newspaper, magazine or any such item is legally detained or detained by the Shari’a for 15 days, or if legal action is taken against a club, organization or party who is Trustee to a newspaper or a magazine, the newspaper or the magazine registered under the trusteeship of such a body will be dissolved. In the case of such an event the Editor of the concerned newspaper or magazine will inform the Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture if in Malè or the Atoll Office if in the atolls within 3 days.

29.       If the registered newspaper, magazine or any such item elapsed without regular issuance for 3 times it would be dissolved. Newspapers, magazines or any such items dissolved in such a fashion can only be reregistered 6 months to the date of dissolution and after due submission of request to reregister.

30.       If the issuance of a registered newspaper, magazine or such item is to be discontinued, the matter must be informed in writing to the Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture if in Malè or the Atoll Office if in the atolls within 3 days.

31.       Material concerning serious crimes and material that affect people in an extraordinary fashion must be written after having obtained information from all concerned parties. Publishing such material after only obtaining information from one side is prohibited. Measures will be taken against Editors of newspapers, magazines and other such items who breach this article in accordance with the relative extent of the matter.

Electronic Newspapers and Magazines

(1)   In the issuance of newspapers, magazines and other such items by electronic, audio or video means, same guidelines pertaining to the issuance of written or printed newspapers, magazines and other such items apply.

(2)   Having issued the CD of such a newspaper or a magazine a copy of it must be sent to the Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture.

Ends