RULES FOR ACCREDITATION TO MEDIA PERSONS REPRESENTING
NEWS PAPERS, NEWS AGENCIES,PRINT, VISUAL,
AUDIO AND OTHER ELECTRONIC MEDIA.

1. these by-laws apply to the accreditation of the persons working in connection with the Indian Press and Audio & Video Electronic Media, in the State, District and other levels within the State of Kerala irrespective of its territory of origin but working within the territorial limits of Kerala by the Government of Kerala.
2. Application for accreditation in the prescribed form shall be submitted by the Managing Director, General Manager or Managing Editor of newspapers or in the case of news agency, by the General Manager and in the case of electronic media persons by the Managing Director/Chief Executive or by their appointing authority, to the Director of Public Relations, Government of Kerala ,Thiruvananthapuram-1. Full details about professional and educational qualifications of the media persons should be furnished with the application for accreditation. The Director of Public Relations after necessary verification shall place the application before the State Press Accreditation Committee for advice.

· The bonafide full time and Media persons/reporters, full time journalist working as part-time correspondents as their main avocation will submit their application for accreditation direct to the Director of Public Relations. The application submitted by them will be verified by the Director of Public Relations. In consultation with the Managements/Appointing authorities concerned and the district Information Officer wherever necessary.

3. (1) The media persons should fulfill the following conditions for accreditation.
*(a) He should have completed at least 18 years of age at the time of application.
*(b) He should have passed S.S.L.C or equivalent examination at the time of application.
© His residence should be at the headquarters of the District/State during the period of accreditation.
(d) He should be a regular employee of the circulative/broadcasting/ telecasting/webcasting institution and should have at least two years experience in journalism with one year experience as the case may be.
· these provisions will not be applicable in the case of serving persons at the time of their application.

Note:- (1) Particulars required by the Director of Public Relations regarding the experience or any other items furnished in the application form may be got verified by the District Information Officer.
(2) In the case of persons to whom reporting facilities as defined hereunder are granted, the stipulation of any requirement shall be waived at the discretion of the Director of Public Relations.

4. (1). In respect of Press photographer attached to daily newspapers he should fulfill the following conditions for accreditation.

(i) He should have completed at least 18 years of age at the time of application. He should be a regular employee of the print media.
(ii) He should be a person whose principal avocation is press photography and he should be a full time employee of the newspaper for which accreditation is sought for.
(iii) He should have worked as a press photographer for not less than three years in one or more daily newspaper at the time of application.

(2) In respect of Electronic media photographer/cameraman he should fulfill, the following conditions for accreditation.

(i) He should have completed at least 18 years of age at the time of application. He should be a regular employee of the broadcasting/telecasting/webcasting institution.

(ii) His principal avocation should be photography/cinematography for at least one year.

5.(1) In the case of news agencies, the factors to be taken into consideration for accrediation are:

(a) Continuous functioning for a period of not less than ten years.
(b) Serving at least ten newspapers.
(c) Regularity in service and supply.
2.In the case of a news agency, the granting of accreditation shall be left to the discretion of the Press Accreditation Committee.

5. (a) Accreditation will normally be limited to dailies which have been continuously in existence for a period of one year with a minimum certified circulation of 3000 copies in the case of dailies published from within the State and 25000 copies in the case of English daily newspapers published from outside the state.

b.Newspapers having a circulation of less than 5000 copies will be eligible for accreditation to one correspondent at the production center only. In deserving cases Press Accreditation Committee will relax this provision in order to give accreditation to a correspondent at the State capital also.

c. Electronic media accreditation will be limited to electronic media institutions which have been continuously broadcasting/telecasting/webcasting news for a period of at least one year in a TV channel, separate electronic media company or Radio Station . With regards to online newspapers the same should have at least an average of not less than 10000 hits per day.
7.(a) Normally a newspaper will not be entitle to have more than one accredited correspondent. However, accreditation will be granted to a maximum of three correspondents in the case of dailies having a circulation of not less than 50,000 copies and two in the case of dailies having a circulation of more than 10,000 copies. Dailies having a circulation of one lakh and above will be eligible for having a maximum of four accredited correspondents (including photographer) in places where they have production units. Such dailies will also be eligible to have a total of six accredited correspondents at the State capital. On special occasions enhancement in the number can be give for a limited time to a maximum of one month by the Director of Public Relations.

(b) Accreditation will also be granted to a maximum of three correspondents in the case of news agencies of standing at the State headquarters and two in the regional center of Cochin and Calicut.
(c) Accreditation will be granted to one correspondent of the Kannada and Tamil Dailies published from nearby States like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and having circulation in Kerala State. Such dailies should have a circulation of more than 10,000 copies.
(d) Electronic media accreditation will be granted to a maximum of one media person and one Cameraman/Photographer for electronic media institution at the State Capital and district headquarters. Webcasting institutions will be entitled to have one media person and one Cameraman/Photographer at their production center only.

8(a) Accreditation of press photographer is limited to dailies which have been continuously in existence for a period of one year with a minimum certified circulation of over 25,000 copies in respect of dailies published from within the State and over one o lakh and above in respect of English dailies published from outside the State. However, for dailies having lesser circulation, accreditation will be granted to one photographer at the district in which the newspaper originates, provided it enjoys a circulation of 10,000 copies and above.

9. (a)* A media/press accreditation card signed by the Director of Public Relations will be issued to each accredited correspondent. Admission to special functions will, however, be governed by invitations.

Note:- 1. The person to whom an accreditation card is issued is responsible for its safe custody.
2. The card should be renewed every year . A three months time is allowed for the renewal of the card after the due date is elapsed. If the card is not renewed within this period, the card will be treated as cancelled.
3. The card should be surrendered n the even of transfer or when the person concerned ceases to be an accredited correspondent.
· In respect of accredited photographers no responsibility is taken by the Department of Public Relations for obtaining clearance from the military and the civil agencies of government where such clearence is necessary for national security purpose.

4. In case of loss, the matter may be reported immediately to the nearest police station and after that an application for duplicate card may be submitted to the Director of Public Relations who will issue a duplicate card on the basis of the certificate from a First Class Executive Magistrate after due process of enquiry to the effect that the original accreditation card is irrescoverably lost.
5. Correspondents have to remit a sum of Rs.50 for the issurance of a duplicate Card.
(b) A media accreditation card signed by the Director of Public Relations will be issued to the accredited media representative.
10. Accreditation is personal and not transferable.
11. Accreditation does not confer any official status on the correspondent/media person/photographer. Government merely recongise that the correspondent represents the newspaper/electronic media or the news agency which employ him.. He should not use any letter head and or visiting cards with the words “Accredited to the Government of Kerala”, etc.
12. (a) When a media representative ceases to represent the newspaper or electronic media or the news agency on behalf of which he is accredited, the fact should be brought to the notice of the Director of Public by the Managing Editor/Editor/Managing Director or Proprietor of the newspaper or electronic media and in the case of a news agency by the General Manager concerned within fifteen days failing which facilities accorded to the newspaper and electronic media or news agency, without following the proedure prescribed in Rule 13 (ii) be withdrawn by the Director of Public Relations and action taken will be communicated to the members of the Press Accreditation Committee. An accredited media correspondent/photographer who is continuously absent for three months from the headquarters shall forfeit his accreditation. This absence may be extended to any period on a written request from the Managing Editor/Editor/Managing Director or proprietor of the newspaper and electronic media or the General Manager of the news agency. The accredited media person will also directly inform the Director of Public Relations about his absence from headquarters.

(b) The accreditation facilities extended to media person of the print and electronic media or news agency will be withdrawn and the accreditation cancelled in case the newspaper or news agency or electronic media suspends or ceases publication/broadcasting/telecasting for over period of six months. In such cases the accreditation facilities withdrawn will be restored to the media person immediately after the newspaper or news agency or electronic media resumes publication as such within a period of two months or for any period found reasonable to the Director of Public Relations.

13.(1) A media person will be liable to disaccreditation or for cancellation of covering facilites, if:-

(a) he uses information and facilities accorded to him as an accredited correspondent for publication of official secrets the inviolability of which is accepted by general understanding or by Government Orders.
(b) In the courses of his dutites he behaves in an undignified or unprofessional manner.
(c) He ignores or violated the condition on which information and facilities are provided by Government or acts contrary to any provision of these rules or of the direction of the Director of Public Relations.
(d) He causes wilfull publication or suppression of news that is incorrect of false in so far as Government is concerned, provided that if the source of production is responsible and not the correspondent for the willful publication of false, amalafide or incorrect or disputed coverage or abouse of confidence, the media concerned will be liable to disaccreditation.
(ii) Action under rules 13 (i) will be taken by the Director of Public Relations. If aggrieved by the decision of the Director of Public Relations he or she may file appeal before the Press Accreditiation committee at its next meeting

14.The list of accredited media persons should be reviewed annually by the Director of public Relations and it will be placed before the Acreditation Committee when changes are noted in any item like status, service and viewership etc. of the newspaper/news agencies or electronic media.
15. These rules will come into effect from the 1st day of the next month of the issuance of the order of approval by the committee and will supersede all the earlier bye-laws/rules for accreditation of media persons at the State and district headquarters or any other local level.
Notwithstanding anything contained in these bye-laws, Government shall be free to take any action warranted by circumstances in matters relating to accreditation and disaccreditation and in all cases Government’s decision shall be final

ANNEXURE

1. (A)* granting of press Facilities:

Notwithstanding anything contained in the above bye-laws Government willhave the discretion to grant press and other media facilities to the following categories of print/broadcasting/electronic/or other media persons viz. photographers/Television cameraman/news reel cameraman.

i. To media person representing newspapers and news agencies or electronic media for a maximum period of three months.
ii. To media persons to facilitate coverage of special function or events for maximum period of one month.
iii. To the media persons of news weeklies, fortnightlies dealing with current affairs which have a certified circulation of more than 25,000 copies for a maximum period of one year.
iv. To those media persons who replace accredited correspondents on leave and other short vacancies.
v. An identity card, with the phtograph of the person concerned sanctioned and signed by the Director of Public Relations will be issued.

2. Press and other Identity Cards to the media persons

Press identity or identity to other media persons sanctioned and signed by the Director of Public Relations will be issued to the Editors/Managing Directors of daily newspapers whose daily newspaper is included in the Media List of Government advertisements. The card will be issued to the Managing Directors, General Managers or proprietors of/news agency /electronic media at the discretion of the Director of Public Relations for reasons recorded to be in writing.

· Granting of press facilities ensure only convenience for reporting and coverage of functions etc. It does not confer free travel facilities, Press room services, free supply of Gazettes and priced publications and eligibility to get official invitations.