How to register an online media/publication in Ukraine?

In today's reality, it is important to take the leading position in providing quality and interesting news products. In order to do this, the media create pages that provide fresh news concerning the entire social life of the public. The legitimacy of their work may be ensured by registration.

Below we will elaborate on the registration procedure for online media. The disclosed topic will be useful for online publications and information bureaus, as well as for persons who intend to obtain the status of a journalist for the purpose of visiting ministries, public services, local councils, parliament, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Presidential Administration, courts, etc.

Why do you need to register a news agency?

Official registration will offer you the following advantages:

• the opportunity to find advertisers and sponsors for various projects: licensed media have a higher level of credibility;

• the opportunity to send editorial inquiries to government agencies, to which they are obliged to provide answers; 

• obtaining the official status of a journalist: if you are engaged in writing and posting articles on the website and obtain this status, you will be able to freely receive, use, store and publish information.

Despite the fact that in Ukraine online publications are subject to registration, it will allow your employees to get the status of a journalist faster, as well as simplify the registration of online news bureau as a legal entity. 

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How to set up an Internet Media?

There are two forms of operation for online media: regular economic activity and informational activity. In the first case, it is necessary to go through the procedure of general registration of legal entities, as, for example, we register a public organization or a limited liability company. If you want to register an online agency as one that performs informational activity, the founder must submit documents to the executive body. 

Registration of an internet agency with our company consists of several stages:

• First, we register a legal entity based on your wishes and vision for the future of the media. We will develop for you the statutory documents that allow you to operate safely and in a regulated manner;

• The second stage will be the registration of the new legal entity as a media outlet - that is, registration with the Ministry of Justice.

In order to register an online media outlet, you must submit an application for registration of a subject of information activity. The application must specify the following information:

• all data from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities;

• type of information publication (state and non-state);

• the scope of distribution of news products (regional, national, foreign);

• languages of distributed products;

• a program of expediency of your activity;

• information on financing the publication’s activity (loans, grants or foreign capital).

The most problems arise at the stage of registration of an Internet publication with the supervisory authority. The difficulties are related to the fact that it very often rejects the registration without specifying the reasons. 

We cope with this by having a clear system of work with the Central Executive Body, where we can register information agencies on the first try. You do not have to waste time on communicating with officials and amending the documents.

There is an official fee for the registration of online media - UAH 850. The period of consideration of documents and issuance of decision is 30 days.

Exemption from liability for inaccurate information

In order to avoid paperwork or additional costs, many news agencies simply create their own website, where they publish various news products and prefer to leave their activity without official registration. And then a very logical question arises, Is it worth trusting such a resource? 

If you register your online publication properly, you will get a number of advantages in being exempt from liability for unreliable information. This means that your employees/journalists are exempt from liability for an untrue news product in the following cases:

• If the information was obtained from a similar news agency;

• If the material was taken from a response to an information request;

• If the information verbatim conveys the meaning of a public speech of the subjects of power;

• If the news is published by another print media outlet;

• If the product is a legally protected secret obtained by the journalist in a lawful manner.

That is why we offer our Clients to officially register their information agency - this will give you not only a number of advantages in carrying out your information activity, but also protect you before the law. 

Our company offers you the following online media registration services: 

• Registration of a legal entity for an online publication;

• Advising on the best type of information agency and the organization of its activity, e.g. tax optimization;

• Advising on the scope of distribution of information products;

• Development of a program specifying the purpose of the media outlet’s activity;

• Consultation on the material support of your information publication;

• Submission of documents to the Ministry of Justice for registration of online media on the first try.

If you want to understand how to properly implement your activity in the sphere of different news information usage, don’t hesitate to call us. We will register your online media on the first try and within the period you need.

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