Media Association’s goal: quality media, quality democracy

“We are talking about the universal standards of journalism in democratic societies. The media have an important role in ensuring the continuation of a democratic society,” Memecan said.

    According to Memecan, changes in society have been reflected in the media and will be reflected more so in the future. The changes include the new formats in which people read newspapers. For example, people mostly read newspapers online without paying for the content to the intellectual workers behind that content, but rather to Internet service providers. Memecan emphasized that the media should develop different business plans in light of such changes.

    “Changes in society and how the media see them are questions to be discussed in regards to how they influence each other,” he said, adding that there are prejudices and mistrust in the media preventing a more objective viewpoint.

Defending freedom of speech and pluralism, he also said this pluralistic environment provides an arena for debating critical issues.

Memecan answered more of our questions regarding the association’s projects and goals.

You have set ambitious targets such as raising the bar of quality regarding the whole of the media. How will you do that?

I should say that we can only contribute to the efforts to raise the bar for quality in the media. When it comes to how this is going to happen, first of all, we need to question many things that are happening in the media environment. For example, with technological developments, the whole media scene is changing, not only in Turkey but also in the rest of the world. Things do not work the way they used to work in the media.

What has been happening, exactly?

For example, viewership has significantly dropped for the popular American ABC and CBS networks, and readership has not increased for US newspapers since 1987. Of course, that does not mean that people read the news less, but that means that people read news presented to them in a different format. I went to the United States recently and paid $40 for the Internet. I used the Internet to read news and commentaries written in Turkey but paid my money to the American company which provided the Internet connection. To me, the money should have gone to the intellectual workers who provided this content. These changes force us to think about different business plans. As we, the journalists, are embroiled in the daily flow of news, we can’t find enough space to think about those changes that surround us. This association might help us in that regard.

What else has been happening?

As those changes happen, new questions arise. In this environment in which the Internet provides everybody with the opportunity to be a journalist, and even an opportunity to become a publisher, we come to question our role. What set us apart before? It was that we had the credentials to go to the places that normally people cannot access and provide the news that people normally would not provide. Now everybody can do it. What sets us apart today? This is a question related to our principles and professional guidelines. Those should make us different in a sense that we are more reliable than other people who provide information.

‘Turkey is becoming more pluralistic’

Talking about changes, what has been happening in Turkey?

Turkey is becoming a more pluralistic society as it has been noticing its ignored populations. We have come to realize that we have Kurds, Roma and Alevis, and they have come into the limelight as there has been press coverage. And how these issues have been covered also becomes important. As society becomes more democratic, how the issues related to women, the environment, civil society and wars are covered become more important.

As you mentioned how the media cover women’s issues, another issue is how women are represented in the Media Association, as the association has been established by a group of all-male editors-in-chief.

This reflects the present structure of the media in Turkey. We could have been more sensitive about it, and actually we should have and we will be. There need to be more women working in the media to have more women in upper-level management positions.

There are a lot of women working in the media, but most of them are not in upper management.

Time is working to the advantage of women in that regard. Years ago, I employed two women for the page layout section of the newspaper; now there are more female page designers than men.

Who is their boss? Not a man?

Yes, there is a male boss, but that does not mean that there are not female page designer bosses in other media organizations. From my experience, I know that a lot of our female page designers went to other organizations and became chief page designers.

‘We expect support’

Does the Media Association seek to be an institution that at least has the power to issue a warning when ethical standards are trampled in the media?

One of our purposes is to make [the Turkish media’s] ethical standards compatible with universal ethical standards. But instead of having a policy of sanctions to enforce the observance of ethical standards, we prefer making suggestions. Otherwise, we would trespass into the authority of the judiciary. But it is possible for us to work toward the implementation of ethical standards, and, if necessary, pressure the judiciary to adopt stricter laws in that regard.

What if there are racist headlines in a newspaper?

This falls under the jurisdiction of the editor-in-chief of that newspaper. We can suggest that it is wrong, but saying that it should not be that way would not be appropriate because it is the duty of the judiciary.

In Turkey’s case, we don’t really see judicial interference in that regard.

That’s right, but what we can put forward are the discussions throughout the world regarding those issues and show how similar issues are being handled.

When you were introducing the association, you said that you would knock on everybody’s door. Whose doors are going to knock on?

First of all, I should emphasize that we, a group of journalists, just started this association. We have introduced ourselves, have written our goals, and now we expect support from other journalists and media organizations. Our goal is to improve the quality of the media, and we expect support from others to be able to do it.

Would you elaborate on the quality issue? I am sure you are not talking about the quality of the paper used for printing.

We are talking about the universal standards of journalism in democratic societies. The media have an important role in ensuring the continuation of a democratic society. Turkish society has been changing in the direction of becoming more democratic and pluralistic. This is reflected in the media and will be reflected more so in the future. Changes in society and how the media see them are questions to be discussed in regards to how they influence each other.

What is currently happening in that regard?

Our slogan is “quality media, quality democracy.” Although society has been becoming more democratic, some of the media have not given enough support to this endeavor, while, on the other hand, some of the media support these developments more. There are prejudices and mistrust preventing a more objective viewpoint in the media. However, this environment also provides an arena for debating critical issues. The important thing is to keep that platform for healthy debate.

Can we expect to see the editor-in-chief of Hürriyet in the Media Association?

I don’t know, but we expect his contributions. He is an experienced journalist whom I personally know and respect.

How are you going to support the association financially?

Member institutions [which are represented by the founding editors-in-chief] promised support. We will also seek project-based sponsorships.

‘I did not expect that much prejudice’

The association has been criticized from the very day of its inception because of the alliance of certain media organizations that are labeled as pro-government. Do you think you are more concerned about quality journalism than others?

This is an initiative. We made a start. We don’t want to send a message that says we are the only ones concerned about the quality of the media. The messages we received from journalists working in a diverse range of news organizations show how much others are concerned about the very same thing. At the association here we don’t have a political mission, and we can work well with people who have totally different political ideas. The important thing is to work for the development of the media.

Did you expect that you would have to issue a press release to defend the association three days after its founding?

No, I did not. We issued that press release because the [Republican People’s Party] CHP deputy’s remarks contained direct prejudice against us. It is up to the [Turkish Radio and Television Corporation] TRT general director to respond to the claims, but for our part, I can say that the deputy’s remarks were unfortunate and polarizing. He treats us as if we are a criminal organization in which TRT cannot be involved.

‘Our first project: Reporting at the time of disasters’

Are you following a model from elsewhere in the world regarding what you are aiming to achieve?

For our educational activities, we will learn from the activities of the International Center for Journalists [ICFJ]. We also have an academic journal project that could be modeled after the Columbia Journalism Review. This will also strengthen our ties with academia. I have already received several supportive messages from academics.

What is your first project going to be with the ICFJ?

We have two topics: digital media reporting and disaster reporting regarding dealing with trauma and the ethical rules of that kind of reporting. We will also provide internships and exchange programs in collaboration with international media organizations.

Feb. 28 period and sins of the media

Salih Memecan has been drawing cartoons for the Sabah daily for 21 years and for ATV for 15 years. He also answered our questions regarding his years in the media.

Have you ever faced censorship?

No. My drawings were not censured during the Feb. 28 period when the owner of the paper was somebody else. But this was not the norm. Other journalists and columnists faced censorship in the paper in the same period. Many columnists went abroad to get away from that environment or to be safe. I also went to the United States during that time period, but it was because I was dismayed by the whole situation in the country, not because I was faced with censorship.

Regarding the Sabah daily’s stance at that time, Ergun Babahan, who was on the paper’s management team, recently made some historic revelations. What went through your mind when you saw them?

I knew that this was going on at the time. I was telling people around me about what was going on regarding how fake stories were used to discredit the government at the time. I was surprised to see the reactions to Babahan’s revelations because most people acted like they didn’t know.

Are you talking about the general public or the reaction of the journalists?

I mean the journalists.

What would you say regarding pluralism in the media in the Feb. 28 period?

It was a period in which the media committed great sins. I don’t think we could have a similar situation today. If a media organization had published such news stories, another media organization would disprove them. That’s why pluralism in the media is so important. In part, we owe this to the harmonization of laws with the European Union.

What do you think about the prime minister’s views regarding pluralism? He was angry at the media bosses because they allowed too much freedom of expression. Is the association going to react to such statements by political leaders?

This was something that happened before our establishment, so we did not have a chance to decide whether or not we would react to it. But in general, the association is not going to react to everything, especially if issues involve politicians. We will not be involved in polemics with politicians. We reacted to the CHP deputy’s claims because they were directed at us.