


Podcasts are also gradually becoming a significant source of news commentary as well as shows on lifestyle and entertainment.
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The growing popularity of closed messaging apps such as WhatsApp (30% for news) and Telegram (13% for news) is likely due, at least in part, to the pressures on free expression applied to other outlets.ĭespite this background, smaller online news outlets, such as Medyascope, dokuz8news, or Duvar, still have a large social media following and provide a range of alternative news and commentaries. 3 All the big social networks – including Twitter which is often at the centre of political debates – have agreed to work within these new laws.

According to the government, these new regulations – which raised concerns over freedom of speech – are aimed at protecting citizen rights and are based on the ‘German model’. 5651) to require popular social media platforms to have a legal base in Turkey with an in-country representative to respond to content removal requests. 2 In the second half of 2020, the Turkish government amended existing internet laws (mainly Law no. However, self-censorship on social media has become common as social media users, including journalists, have found themselves facing prosecution for their posts. Despite this, social media have become a significant source for independent perspectives, with 61% in our data saying they use it for news. In addition, thousands of websites and online news have been blocked, and legal action has been taken to remove news stories.
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Olay TV, a TV channel created in November 2020, was closed by their main shareholder after just 26 days, a decision its journalists blamed on pressure from government officials unhappy with what they saw as favourable coverage of a pro-Kurdish opposition party. These include Fox TV and Halk TV and newspapers such as Birgün and Cumhuriyet. In the past year, the Turkish media regulator – the Radio and Television Supreme Council – and the official Press Advertising Agency issued several broadcast and advertising bans, as well as imposing fines on outlets seen as critical of the government. Media outlets, particularly those critical of the government, are under constant political and financial pressure. Ranked 153rd out of 180 countries in press freedom by Reporters Without Borders, Turkey remains a difficult environment for independent journalism. But independent news organisations have faced greater threats to their editorial and financial independence over the last year. In a news environment dominated by pro-government voices, citizens looking for different perspectives are increasingly turning to online news outlets, social media, and private messaging apps.
