Platform for Independent Journalism (P24) is a timely initiative to support and promote editorial independence in the Turkish press at a time when the journalistic profession is under fierce commercial and political pressure.
About Us
It is a not-for-profit, civil society organization which counts as its founders several experienced members of the Turkish press. It has been started with a broad mission to build capacity in the Turkish media, create a public appetite for media independence, define and promote best journalistic practice, and more specifically to encourage the transition to web-based journalism.
It does so through various strategies:
- by example (providing content; organizing and encouraging investigative journalism with independent funding)
- by organizing training for young professionals
- by providing concrete assistance to news sites of proven integrity
- by bringing issues of media integrity to public attention
In short, P24 attempts to prove the value of a free and independent press to a society which has lost confidence in established media.
The founding president of P24 is Hasan Cemal. Other founding members are Doğan Akın, Yavuz Baydar, Yasemin Çongar, Andrew Finkel, Hazal Özvarış and Murat Sabuncu. P24’s current president is Mustafa Ünlü. The Executive Board members elected in the last General Assembly which was held on 25 September 2022 are Andrew Finkel, Ahmet Kurt, Nurcan Gündoğan and Mesut Varlık.
One of Turkey’s leading book review and art criticism websites, K24 was founded in 2015 under the umbrella of Platform of Independent Journalism. K24 is an active member of Eurozine, an online magazine network linking over 90 European cultural journals. www.k24kitap.org/english
Istanbul’s first Literature House. A place to read, to discuss what we read, and to listen to each other. Since opening its doors in October 2018, Kıraathane has organized countless talks, workshops, and expositions with authors, scholars, artists, and human rights defenders. It hosts a yearly book festival for independent publishing houses. www.kiraathane.com.tr/english
Expression Interrupted tracks the legal process against journalists and academics who have borne the brunt of the massive crackdown on freedom of expression in Turkey. The program gives visibility to press and freedom of expression trials through monitoring to facilitate advocacy efforts. Its database exposes how the legal framework is used to restrict freedom of expression. www.expressioninterrupted.com
Gezegen means “earth” in Turkish. True to its name, it is a platform conceived to address the climate crisis and the problems of our globe through awareness-raising, journalism, and advocacy. By doing so, Gezegen aims to establish higher climate and ecology reporting standards while encouraging more journalists to specialize in these topics. www.gezegen24.com
SPEAK UP is a platform set up to stand against restrictions to freedom of expression such as censorship, self-censorship, bans, blocking, isolation, defamation, or social lynching to which associations and individuals active in cultural life, the arts, or the media are subjected to. It aims to empower everyone in Turkey whose freedom of expression comes under threat and to fight against censorship through awareness-raising, advocacy, archiving, and alternative actions. www.susma24.com/en/
P24 Akademi is a website offering training modules prepared by experienced journalists, academics, and experts for journalists, communication students, and everyone with a keen interest in reporting. It is a non-profit civil society initiative, and all the modules are free to access. www.p24akademi.org