Model Regulations on the authorized person/unit for mass media relations approved

Ministry of Information and Communications of the Republic of Kazakhstan has worked out the Regulations on the authorized person/unit for relationships with mass media.

The provision that establishes legislatively the competence of the Authorized Person/Unit in relations with mass media was enacted within the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Amendments to Some Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Information and Communication”.

This provision was developed and enacted with a view to legislatively recognizing the Authorized Person/Unit’s status and responsibilities, as well as to regulating the government agencies’ relationships with mass media.

According to the Regulations, the Authorized Person/Unit’s major objective in relations with mass media is the timely and quality dissemination of information on matters that fall within the competence of government agencies.

The primary goals are: as follows: sustaining a positive image of government agency and enabling efficient interoperation among such agency’s units so as to generate the agency’s uniform informational policy.

According to the approved regulations, the Press Secretary or the authorized staff must provide necessary trustworthy information on matters that fall within government agency’s competence, facilitate the preparing of information content for mass media, perform either temporary or permanent accreditation of journalists, and also provide support in the fullest and widest dissemination of information on matters that fall within the competence of government agencies.

Falling within the government agency’s competence is also the arrangement of press conferences, briefings, interviews and meetings of officials with mass media.

Furthermore, the government agency’s Press Secretary has the right to request from the organization units any and all necessary information, obtain consultation services from the authorized body and undergo the advanced training.

The document containing the Authorized Person/Unit’s objectives, goals, functions, and responsibilities has been published in “Kazakhstanskaya Pravda” and “Yegemen Kazakhstan” newspapers, and also on the Ministry’s official website.