P24 debates media’s issues on Working Journalists Day
Marking the Working Journalists Day in Turkey, P24 discussed the media’s deep-rooted issues, including labor conditions and editorial standards, and explored ways to address them
10.01.2024
P24 hosted an event on Working Journalists Day, which is marked every year on January 10 in Turkey, to discuss and explore ways to address the deep-rooted issues the media sector faces. January 10 has been dedicated to media workers since 1961, when Law No. 212 protecting journalists’ rights was enacted. However, most of the rights not only stayed on paper during the course of 63 years, but many have eroded, especially after the media failed to develop a viable and successful digital news publishing model.
The discussion was organized by Expression Interrupted, P24’s program to monitor press freedom and freedom of expression violations. Invited as guest speakers, Candan Yıldız, editor-in-chief of online newspaper Gazete Pencere and board member of the labor union DİSK Basın-İş, Gülfem Karataş, member of the Commission for LGBTI+ and Women of the Turkish Journalists’ Union (TGS), Çağrı Sarı, an experienced journalist formerly at Daily Evrensel, and Canan Coşkun, a prominent courthouse and legal reporter, shared their critical reflections based on their own experiences in media outlets.
The speakers highlighted the effect of worsening labor conditions on content quality deterioration and journalists’ increased vulnerability to political and economic pressure. Though press freedom is vital to improving the media environment, the speakers agreed that another critical component is to establish higher editorial standards.
You can watch the entire discussion on P24’s YouTube channel by clicking the video below (in Turkish).