The Ideological Convergence of Civil Society Organizations and Newspapers in Turkey

Akboga S., Arik E.

VOLUNTAS, cilt.31, sa.4, ss.793-810, 2020 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 31 Sayı: 4
  • Basım Tarihi: 2020
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s11266-019-00144-1
  • Dergi Adı: VOLUNTAS
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, ABI/INFORM, Geobase, Political Science Complete, Public Affairs Index, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.793-810
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Newspapers, Civil society organizations, Turkey, Polarization, PRESS-PARTY PARALLELISM, TURKISH NEWSPAPERS, MIDDLE-EAST, MEDIA, NEWS, COVERAGE, DEMOCRATIZATION, SECULARISM, NONPROFIT, POLITICS
  • Abdullah Gül Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

This study investigates the extent to which newspapers are polarized in representing civil society organizations in Turkey. In examining the news in 15 printed newspapers and 2 online newspapers in 2017, we found that (1) 1499 associations and 499 foundations were mentioned but not equally distributed across the newspapers, (2) Turkish newspapers' coverage of associations/foundations was affected by the type of association/foundation (religious/conservative vs. secular) and newspaper (pro-government vs. anti-government), (3) when news about an association/foundation appeared in pro-government newspapers, it did not appear in anti-government newspapers, and vice versa, and (4) secular associations/foundations were covered more often by anti-government newspapers than by pro-government newspapers. We therefore argue that in countries such as Turkey, where civil society organizations have historically been closely allied with state or political ideologies, newspapers' political stances affect the media coverage of civil society organizations.