Faruk Bildirici: Fatih Portakal has crossed the boundaries of journalism

Journalist Fatih Portakal claimed that the instruction regarding CHP Afyonkarahisar Mayoral candidate Burcu Köksal's remarks about the DEM Party came from Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

While Kılıçdaroğlu denied the allegation in harsh terms, Media Ombudsman Faruk Bildirici evaluated the controversy between the two.

Noting that news anchors overshadow the news by explaining their personal opinions and evaluations on every subject at length, Bildirici stated that Fatih Portakal has crossed the boundaries of journalism.

Bildirici stated, "It is not just Fatih Portakal; especially the main news anchors on news channels have stopped competing for news and have entered a competition of performance and commentary. Hand gestures and shouting have turned main news bulletins into a show for the anchors."

Here are the highlights from the article Bildirici published on his own website:

"The racist and hate-filled remarks by CHP's Afyonkarahisar Mayoral Candidate Burcu Köksal, stating 'When I am elected, the doors of the Afyonkarahisar Municipality will be open to every political party except the DEM Party,' caused a political crisis within her party. It turned into a 'media crisis' with Sözcü TV main news anchor Fatih Portakal accusing former Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of giving instructions to Burcu Köksal.

Reacting to Portakal's words, Kılıçdaroğlu spoke to Murat Sabuncu from T24; he completely denied the allegation. He did not stop there; he made a statement on his social media account using a harsh tone. Portakal responded to Kılıçdaroğlu in the same tone during last night's main news bulletin.

While all these developments were taking place, Kılıçdaroğlu called me yesterday afternoon; he completely denied Portakal's claim and requested that I, as the Media Ombudsman, investigate this matter. Even if Kılıçdaroğlu had not called, I would have had to investigate this crisis. Because this incident was moved to the top of the political agenda with mutual statements and accusations; it was also discussed at length on news channels last night in terms of both politics and journalism.

PORTAKAL DISPROVED HIS OWN CLAIM

Let us leave aside the stance of CHP Chairman Özgür Özel and Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, and why and how Burcu Köksal made such a statement; that is the political side of this crisis. Let us look at the issue from the perspective of journalism and distill a new experience for our profession from this crisis.

Let us proceed step by step. The first step was Fatih Portakal's words on Sözcü TV's main news bulletin. While claiming that Burcu Köksal spoke under instruction, he said in summary:

“I think this was done with an instruction. Let me clearly state the name, one of the names close to Kılıçdaroğlu. I cannot prove the instruction, but I even think it came from Kılıçdaroğlu. Look, I am speaking this clearly.”

The key words in this speech by Portakal are “I think” and “I cannot prove.” It might be natural to use these words when making a personal evaluation. But this speech is being made in a news bulletin; Kılıçdaroğlu is being accused of creating a crisis by giving instructions to Burcu Köksal. This is a news topic, but these words have no place in news language.

When voicing such an accusation, journalistic rules should have been applied, and the answers to the questions we call 5W1H should have been provided. However, Portakal does not specify through whom, when, where, or how Kılıçdaroğlu gave the instruction; he explains the source of this claim by saying “I think.”

The fact that Portakal thinks it is so cannot be proof that Kılıçdaroğlu acted that way. The fact that he ended his claim by saying “I cannot prove it” already disproves everything he said. A journalist does not, and should not, convey information to their readers or viewers that they cannot prove or verify.

Let us assume that the source of the accusation voiced by Portakal is not his own thought but information that reached him. In that case, he should have either obtained concrete data or asked Kılıçdaroğlu and checked it from the source. The fact that Portakal, an experienced journalist, did not try to reach Kılıçdaroğlu on such a matter is also a deficiency.

KILIÇDAROĞLU’S STATEMENT IS INSULTING

In his conversation with Murat Sabuncu, while denying Portakal, Kılıçdaroğlu said in summary, “It is a vile slander that I instructed Burcu Köksal to speak this way. Fatih Portakal is obliged to explain this. If he does not explain, I will say that he produces fake news.”

However, Kılıçdaroğlu did not settle for this statement. He then made a post on his social media account. In his post starting with “To my dear nation,” he listed three points, calling them “ignorant and ill-mannered people.” To avoid being long-winded, let me quote the last part:

- “Making a mouthful of slander by saying ‘I cannot prove it’ is not journalism, it is not humanity. It is disgrace! It is depravity!

- A Chairman who would even think of such an instruction, or who wishes ill for his party even for a moment, is dishonorable! Anyone who spews hatred to look good to some and puts forward an unprovable claim is also dishonorable!

@fatihportakal, your slanders are no different from the slanders, fake and montage videos made by the current government during election time; I again take refuge in God from slanderers. I leave you to the conscience of my nation and honest journalists.”

No matter how baseless, unfair, and contrary to journalistic rules Portakal's accusation may be, it does not give Kılıçdaroğlu the right to use such language. These expressions, which we are not accustomed to hearing from Kılıçdaroğlu, are very heavy and insulting. By using such a style, Kılıçdaroğlu has exceeded the limits of responding to the accusations against him.

A JOURNALIST CANNOT TAKE SUCH A STANCE

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is a politician, while Fatih Portakal is a journalist and main news anchor. A journalist cannot, and should not, use the same language regardless of how heavy the words coming from a politician are. But Portakal responded to Kılıçdaroğlu with insults on Sözcü TV's main news bulletin last night.

A journalist should not be the subject of the news, but Portakal was the main character of the news. Those who turned on Sözcü TV to watch the news program had to listen to Portakal's words about what kind of journalist he is for minutes at the very beginning. Portakal said, “I am a man who does his job correctly; no one can call me a bagman or this or that, I will confront anyone who says so.”

He reiterated that he stands behind his claim, saying, “Do not teach me journalism by telling me to disclose sources. I am not teaching you politics.” Portakal read Kılıçdaroğlu's post and concluded his words in summary as follows:

“Mr. Kemal, I wish you hadn't gone and called someone else. I would have said, ‘Mr. Kemal called me or he does not accept this, he denied it.’ I won't answer even if you call from now on anyway. Do not run operations. Do not be a tool for operations. The person who should be called is me. I am the one who put forward the claim.

This is how Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu came to the agenda. He will be on the agenda for another day or two. It is over for me. I don't even take you seriously. I return the same words, that dishonorable thing, that thing, to you. I call you an intriguing politician. I don't take you seriously, okay, it's over. We have moved on.”

This speech by Portakal was a crossing of journalistic boundaries. Moreover, he also announced that he would continue this violation. Just as there is no place for insults in the journalist-politician relationship, a journalist cannot cut off their relationship with a politician who is a news source for personal reasons; they cannot say “I don't take you seriously.”

Will Portakal not present the news when a story about Kılıçdaroğlu comes before him on Sözcü TV by saying “I don't take him seriously”? He has to present it...

NEWS BULLETINS HAVE TURNED INTO A SHOW AREA

One final note. As I emphasized at the beginning of the article, I attribute this problem to the fact that it has become a habit for main news anchors to embellish the news with their personal comments in recent years.

It is not just Fatih Portakal; especially the main news anchors on news channels have stopped competing for news and have entered a competition of performance and commentary. Hand gestures and shouting have turned main news bulletins into a show for the anchors; they have started to overshadow the news by explaining their personal opinions and evaluations on every subject at length.

If they made very short analyses about the news they present instead of commenting, they would be demonstrating an effort that is more useful for the viewer and more appropriate for journalism. Of course, knowledge and research are required to perform analysis; analysis is not done by explaining personal opinions.