Journalists Association President Nazmi Bilgin calls for transparency in media capital: 'We are watching with concern'

Journalists Association President Nazmi Bilgin has issued a written statement regarding the changes in ownership, sales, and the establishment of new media outlets.

“We are watching with concern as some media groups have changed hands in recent days in a manner that is being debated by the public,” said Bilgin, emphasizing that media capital in Turkey continues to operate in gray areas and lacks transparency, which harms both journalism and democracy. He expressed his demand for full transparency regarding financial relations in the press.

In his written statement, Bilgin recalled that some organizations have changed hands and new media outlets have entered the sector over the last month and a half. Noting that some capital movements have caused public debate, Bilgin emphasized that the structures possessing the financial power to support press organizations must be transparent and auditable.

The statement from Journalists Association President Bilgin is as follows:

“We are watching with concern as some media groups have changed hands in recent days in a manner that is being debated by the public. Media outlets must be managed with capital sources that are free from any question marks or shadows.

Press and broadcasting organizations are not ordinary commercial enterprises. For democracy to develop and for the public and voters to form their own free opinions and make sound decisions, the media must remain as far as possible from economic and political influence. By its nature, our profession requires capital owners who will operate without seeking any interest or benefit above the public good, for the sake of independent and principled journalism. However, unfortunately, in weak democracies, media capital always remains in a gray area, conducts secret dealings with politics behind the scenes, and operates under the influence of various power holders. In democratic countries, media capital is transparent, accountable, and under public scrutiny. This is the case due to the public importance of the media and is also essential for democracy.

While the changes in capital and the entry of new capital groups into the sector in our country's media today may be seen as positive in the short term due to employment opportunities, the lack of transparency and auditability in capital structures creates an extremely negative picture for journalism in our country. We know that the new moves and developments in the sector are linked to election processes, and for this reason, we have concerns.

Ensuring full financial transparency in the media is a requirement of democracy. As journalists who believe in our profession and its democratic public importance, we demand full transparency in capital movements within the media sector. We want to ensure that not a single unexplained penny, nor any asset with the slightest shadow over its relations, is allowed to contaminate our profession.

We demand that the capital structures of newly established or transferred television stations, newspapers, websites, and other media organs be auditable. We demand that financial movements in the press sector be transparent and that the unfair and unlawful transfer of public resources to certain media groups be subject to investigation.”

News Source: 12punto