Security agencies should have accountability, say journalists

Major media names reflect on nation’s media

Perhaps the liveliest of the day's sessions saw seasoned Turkish journalists addressing the topic of "Media: In Pursuit of Truth? Independence, Impartiality and Transparency."

The discussion began with Yasemin Çongar of the Taraf newspaper emphasizing that the concept of impartiality does not mean a void of ideas, but knowing as a journalist how to maintain a proper distance from power centers and the state.

"The Turkish media are not independent, are not impartial and aren't as transparent as you think," İsmet Berkan of the Radikal daily said. "Establishing a newspaper is like founding a political party."

He also pointed out a disconnect between the streets and the headlines in Turkey. "There is a deep disparity there, and this is a damaging state of affairs," he said, noting that the hot topics of inter-newspaper disagreement are not things that most citizens care passionately about.

Star's Mustafa Karaalioğlu said: "It is impossible for [media] establishments to be impartial. But are we [journalists] fair? In terms of ideas, emotions ... the choices of photographs. This is what's critical." He made the day's first reference to the Ergenekon trial, saying that it did not evoke the same media reaction from the get-go as the Susurluk incident of 1996, which involved a cover-up of government corruption.

"This was the [Turkish media's] most successful piece of work. All of the Turkish media went after that story," he said, perhaps referencing the attempts of some media outlets to downplay the seriousness and credibility of the allegations that surfaced in the early stages of the Ergenekon investigation.

Mete Çubukçu of private news station NTV drew attention to the difficulties Turkish journalists face in being impartial in the face of media traditions -- many stemming from former state restrictions -- in terms of using nationalist language and excessively incorporating statements from state authorities in the news.  "Only in Turkey do you see the president and chief of staff appearing on front pages so much. … This needs to be relegated to the back pages, and we need to pursue the real agenda." He said journalists also need to avoid merely printing things that agree with public opinion. "The nationality of the journalist is news."

Sabah's Umur Talu emphasized the fundamental nature of a culture of democracy to obtaining independence and impartiality in the Turkish media. "As long as there are no democratic sentiments, you can't expect the media to cover sensitive issues."

Zaman daily correspondent Erkan Acar noted that his newspaper, denied accreditation by the military to attend General Staff briefings and meetings, was in a disadvantageous position vis-à-vis other newspapers in acquiring information on security issues.

International experiences

Foreign journalists and press observers also added to the content of the day's panel discussions, sharing experiences and knowledge about how journalists around the world grappled with the challenges of reporting issues related to and restricted by the security sector -- security forces, intelligence agencies and other public institutions tasked with protecting citizens -- and how that affects the media's watchdog role in the democratization process. In a country like Turkey where the influence of security forces on political developments is felt all too acutely, the anecdotes international experts shared hit close to home.

Russian journalist Andrei Soldatov spoke about the role of media in the Russian Federation as a form of public oversight of the country's security services because of the lack of parliamentary oversight. He highlighted an issue facing journalists in his country that paralleled similar concerns in Turkey: fear and apprehension over the security forces' response to publications not in line with its viewpoint.

Lotte Dahlmann of International Media Support emphasized the importance of the regulatory framework that ensured journalists' rights and protection. She also gave examples of situations where the lack of reliable, easily accessible sources of information leading to official statements from authorities becoming the backbone of news reports.