[email protected]

Boss protection for Yılmaz Erdoğan

Don't leave your news choices to an algorithm - decide for yourself what you read. Add 12punto to your preferred sources!

In Hürriyet's, "Turkey talked about this trailer" titled news report, "The trailer for the series 'İnci Taneleri', starring Yılmaz Erdoğan, shook social media" it was stated. Posta, meanwhile, in its "Created a sensation" report, noted that the series trailer "became the agenda on social media." was announcing.

It was true that the new series written by and starring Yılmaz Erdoğan was being talked about a lot on social media. But the reason it was being talked about so much was because of Yılmaz Erdoğan's "It wasn't just your love, but also to be your perpetrator" words, which drew reactions from women's non-governmental organizations.

One of those who reacted to that expression was Fidan Ataselim, Secretary General of the We Will Stop Femicide Platform Ataselim, "You made our skin crawl and made us ask, are you aestheticizing a woman-killer? There is no romanticism in femicide, only normalization. You gave a final word to many potential killers, a tirade for the murderer in court." they wrote.

The reactions to Yılmaz Erdoğan's words were reported on sites such as BirGün, Bianet, Cumhuriyet, Diken, Gerçek Gündem, Super Haber, T24, Kısa Dalga, Mezopotamya Ajansı, and Muhalif.

However, in the reports by Hürriyet and Posta about how the series promotion "shook" social media, "created a stir," and "became the agenda," there was no mention at all of the backlash from women. Hürriyet and Posta inverted the truth as if no reaction had been shown and everyone had expressed positive opinions!

This is because Yılmaz Erdoğan's new series will be broadcast on Kanal D! And Kanal D is the TV channel of the Demirören Group, that is, the boss of Hürriyet and Posta. Instead of reporting the truth, Hürriyet and Posta chose to defend the boss's interests and preferred to frame the backlash as a promotional success...

This is another face of "boss journalism"...

A NEW PEAK IN BOSS JOURNALISM

Such journalism is rarely seen. Yeni Şafak's "Expert witness or gang?" titled report, instead of the construction company, the "public interest" was targeting the two expert witnesses who defended it.

The report, which was announced on the front page, covered the entire third page, and was also featured as a headline on the website, was based on a lawsuit filed by the company that built the Kocaeli Stadium to receive a price difference from the public sector on the grounds of increased costs.

The report was entirely focused on the court-appointed expert witnesses Necat Yörük and Mahmut Yergin passing judgment on them. These expert witnesses were accused of "not being experts," "not implementing the court decision," "forming an expert witness gang," "finding the expert witness fee low," and "having different expectations" and were being targeted.

The company that built the stadium "price difference" The report, which argued that they should receive a "price difference" and that the public sector was at fault, was more reminiscent of texts prepared by corporate lawyers than by a journalist. Indeed, the text contained neither a journalist's byline nor any source!

In fact, the report did not even mention which court the case was in, nor the name of the public institution from which the price difference was being demanded. But most importantly, neither the amount of the requested price difference nor the name of the company that built the construction and filed the lawsuit was specified!

It was clear that Yeni Şafak would not defend a company so disproportionately for no reason. After a little research, it turned out exactly as I had suspected; The company that built the stadium and filed the lawsuit against TOKİ was the Albayrak-Öztaş Construction partnership!

It seems Yeni Şafak was defending a company within its own group but was hiding the Albayrak name so it wouldn't be too obvious. Perhaps they were ashamed to name them, thinking that this would be going too far...

And they should be ashamed. Because what they are doing is sacrificing two expert witnesses who defend the public interest for the sake of their boss's interests. Using journalism as a weapon so that the boss's company can get more money from the state. This is a new peak in boss-led journalism...

THE NUMBER OF MURDERED JOURNALISTS HAS NOT DECREASED

The annual report released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), was reported with headlines such as "Despite the Gaza tragedy, the number of journalists killed worldwide has decreased." It cannot be said that these headlines accurately reflect the true situation. According to RSF, the number of journalists killed worldwide was

51 in 2021, 58 in 2022, and 45 in 2023. Looking at these figures, the number of journalists killed this year appears to have decreased compared to last year. However, while the RSF report states the number of journalists killed in Gaza as 13, it also notes that this figure

"reaches 56 when those whose direct connection to journalistic activity cannot be determined are included." This is a crucial distinction that changes the interpretation of the data. a note is also added. This means that when the names that RSF could not confirm are added, the number of journalists killed this year reaches 88. Furthermore, RSF's data reflects the situation as of December 1.

While these are the figures from RSF, according to statements made by Hamas officials, the number of journalists who died in Israeli attacks is much higher. As of December 24, this number reached 99. The reason for such a large discrepancy with RSF's findings stems from their cautious approach to Hamas's statements and their effort to verify each name individually.

Therefore, RSF will also update the figures it announced for this year as it obtains new data. Undoubtedly, reaching clearer and verified information depends on the clearing of war clouds in Gaza and the possibility of conducting journalistic activities there.

Unfortunately, it seems that the number of journalists killed in Gaza will rise even further at that time; consequently, the number of journalists killed worldwide will also turn out to be higher. And it will likely be much higher than last year...

On this occasion, I would like to respectfully salute our Palestinian colleagues who are chasing news in Gaza. In a brutal war environment where foreign journalists cannot enter, they are exerting superhuman effort at the cost of their lives to convey the truth to the world. Each of them is a true monument to journalism...

THE INCIDENT IN THE MINUTES WAS ALSO DISTORTED

The departure of AKP deputies from the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) General Assembly and their subsequent occupation of the podium for a while after returning were reported differently by every media outlet.

Akşam, in its report titled "AK Party not given the floor in Parliament," wrote that AKP deputies left the hall after the session chair, CHP's Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Gülizar Biçer Karaca, did not give the floor to AKP Group Deputy Chair Özlem Zengin. Yeni Akit's "Protest at the podium by AK Party deputies who were not given the right to speak" report was in the same vein.

The reports in Cumhuriyet and Sözcü were different from those in Akşam and Yeni Akit. These two newspapers reported that Özlem Zengin reacted to the remarks of CHP Muğla Deputy Gizem Özcan. Sözcü wrote, "AKP members left the General Assembly, angry at CHP" had marked Özlem Zengin and Gizem Özcan in the image in the report.

I checked the parliamentary records to understand the real reason for the AKP members' protest. Özlem Zengin had wanted Gülizar Biçer Karaca to intervene in Gizem Özcan's speech. Zengin, who argued with Karaca, "You are not managing this fairly" she said in anger, and gestured for the AKP members to leave the hall. After a while, they returned and occupied the podium. The reason for the action was not Gizem Özcan's words or the fact that Özlem Zengin was not given the floor, but their argument with Karaca.

The records show that the reports by Akşam, Yeni Akit, Cumhuriyet, and Sözcü were not accurate. Hürriyet and Gazete Pencere reported the AKP members' protest correctly.

The fact that even an incident that took place in the Turkish Grand National Assembly and is reflected in the records can be described differently in some media outlets is a situation that undermines journalistic credibility.

WHAT DOES BEING A GALATASARAY FAN HAVE TO DO WITH IT?

Like any claim, not every accusation can be the direct subject of a news report. It must be investigated, verified, and discussed with the parties involved; it should only be reported if it can be confirmed.

However, Hürriyet's "Galatasaray member Ertay Örmen's mother: My son is holding me in a nursing home against my will" titled reportwas based solely on the complaint petition of Deniz Değer, who identified herself as the mother's lawyer and a "family friend."

Not only was Ertay Örmen's opinion not sought, but the 79-year-old mother, Taylan Köknel, "was being isolated against her will, neglected, sedated, and her health was being endangered by being given inappropriate medication" was also not contacted at the nursing home where she was allegedly held; the accusations were not verified there either.

Furthermore, mentioning that Ertay Örmen is a “Galatasaray fan” in the headline of the news is problematic from a journalistic standpoint. The entire Galatasaray community is being cast under suspicion. Not only is Ertay Örmen a “former” member of the supervisory board and no longer an executive, but the only connection between the accusation and him being a Galatasaray fan is that the nursing home belongs to the Galatasaray Mutual Aid Foundation. In this case, it would have been sufficient to mention that Ertay Örmen is a Galatasaray fan within the body of the article.

The same allegations were also included in the Akşam newspaper's report titled “Isolation for mother at GS Home” There, too, the allegations were not investigated or verified with the other party or the nursing home...

In a single sentence:

Takvim ignored the fact that publishing children's photos in the digital age is ethically objectionable, as well as Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ's "Don't film his face, brother" despite the warning, they published a photo of the artist's child with their face clearly visible.
Uğur Alkapar's articles in Posta titled "The formula for satisfaction" and "A magnificent journey" ceased to be restaurant reviews and turned into advertorials.
Habertürk, Hürriyet, and Korkusuz's In the report "Missing retired police officer killed in an argument," the phrase "a matter of debt and credit" was not enough to explain the reason for the murder.
Akşam, Hürriyet, and Yeni Şafak, in their report on the "fake medical report gang," concealed the names of the two private hospitals where the gang was operating.
Sabah, regarding the ECHR's ruling on those convicted on the grounds of "ByLock", "that the ECHR has exceeded its authority and acted as an attorney for the organization" acted like a court by reporting the news.
In Takvim's "Opened up to the world" report, Ömür Gedik was described as a "young pop singer" and was referred to only as "Gedik" without her first name being mentioned.
AA, CNNTürk, and Habertürk reported Health Minister Koca's words as "By 2028, all vaccines will be 100 percent produced in Turkey" and While publishing with headlines like "Good news on domestic vaccine from Minister Koca" they did not provide the information that he would reopen the Hıfzıssıhha (Institute of Hygiene), which was closed three years ago.
Although the Forensic Medicine report determined that the courier Y. Emre Göçer, who died in the accident, was partially at fault, while the Somali President's son was "Primarily at fault" Akşam newspaper ran the headline as if both were equally at fault, "Both are at fault" it headlined.
The reports from DHA and İHA, which were cited in many media outlets, The report titled "Fire panic at a private hospital in Güngören" was missing the name of the private hospital.
Akşam columnist Emin Pazarcı, while thanking the chief physician and department heads of Ankara City Hospital where he received privileged treatment, described those who "fought over queues" at the hospital and those who "lashed out at the government and hospital administration" as "selfish" in his characterization..