Cyprus General

The media in Cyprus functions freely and independently without intervention or control by any state authority. Freedom of the press is enshrined in the Republic's constitution which stipulates that, 'Every person has the right to freedom of speech and expression in any form. This right includes the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by any public authority and regardless of frontiers.'

The 1989 Press Law safeguards the freedom of the press, the unhindered circulation of newspapers, the right of journalists to access official information and not to disclose the sources of their information. It also safeguards the right of individuals, organizations or public institutions to reply if they consider that incorrect and misleading information has been published about them.

In the absence of a Press Council to deal with complaints or non-compliance with journalistic standards, journalists are expected to be self regulating and to adhere to their own Code of Conduct laid down by the Union of Cyprus Journalists. A committee of journalists monitors the code's implementation.