Corruption-Covering Reporters in Turkey Fear Layoff: Research

Transparency International (TI) and Center For Social Research and Education (TAREM) released their preliminary results of a research on impunity in Turkey. 

Presented by TAREM Coordinator Gökhan Biçici in Swedish Consulate in Istanbul yesterday, the research aims to determine the knowledge and awareness of journalists regarding the concept of impunity as well as to underline the societal dimension in the struggle against corruption. 

Corruption-related pieces can be punished

Some of the preliminary results of the research is as follows: 

* More than half of participant journalists are aware of the legislations protection freedom of expression in Turkey.

* Journalists think that most of the censored news stories were related to corruption. Pieces on corruption are followed by media moguls’ relations with politicians, big corporations’ inappropriate acts and violence exercised by law enforcement. 

* Half of the participants claim that they have covered about corruption and their stories were published with no intervention. However, the majority of journalists think that they might be laid off, prosecuted or threatened on verbal and written. 

Tone and content important for editors 

* Even though journalists don’t see it as a priority to generate content or tone that will please their editors, they still confirm that they take it into consideration. 

* Journalists refer to the concepts like “law state”, “human rights”, “democracy” more than “impunity” when covering about corruption. According to the research, one third of participants are not aware of the concept “impunity”. 

The research is based on a questionnaire replied by 3,058  email account users in a database of 12,402 users. The questionnaire is open to journalists until February 20. (EA/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.