The transformations in alternative media, journalism and social protest in contemporary Turkey have largely occurred due to the upsurge in use of social media. Some of the most fervent users of social media in the world come from Turkey where forms of social media are frequently banned by the Turkish government. This book looks at the structural, economic and political reasons why the current media system fails urban educated young professionals in Turkey and led them to a month long resistance and protest through the use of social media during OccupyGezi movement. The book outlines the history of alternative media use and the ways in which it has become a tool for the critics of the neoliberal economic system in Turkey. The collection concentrates on social media use within social movements and applies interdisciplinary approaches and research methods, ranging from cinema and visual arts to sociology, political science, content analysis and ethnographic study.
Murat Akser is a Lecturer in Cinematic Arts, in the School of Arts and Humanities, at Ulster University. Between 2006-2013 he was an Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies, Chair of New Media Department and the Founding Director of the New Media MA program at Kadir Has University, Turkey. Victoria McCollum is a Lecturer in Cinematic Arts, in the School of Arts and Humanities, at Ulster University. Her most recent research examines how horror films, including some of its most transgressive subgenres, deal with memory, ideology, and the often-competing claims of nationalism, American exceptionalism and cultural sorrow. She is the author of Post-9/11 Heartland Horror: Rural Horror Films in an Era of Urban Terrorism (2017) and the co-editor of HBO's Original Voices: Race, Class, Gender, Sexuality and Power (2018) and Make America Hate Again: Trump-Era Horror and the Politics of Fear (2019). Victoria is currently working on a long-term research project concerning Halloween in Northern Ireland.
Preface / Introduction, Murat Akser and Victoria McCollum / Part I: Sustainability / 1. The Diverging Trajectories of Alternative/Citizen Media in Turkey: A Comparative Analysis of Capul TV and 140jurnos, Haluk Mert Bal, Ergin Bulut and Lemi Baruh / 2. The Activist Dimension of the Alternative Media and Sustainability, Laura Avadar / 3. Politics of News Reception and Circulation in Turkish News Culture, Suncem Kocer / Part II: Activism / 4. Journalism in Turkey and the Gezi Park Protest: Power and Agency in the Media Sphere, Desiree Hostettler / 5. Citizen Journalism Through Affective Statements on Twitter, Burcum Kesen / 6. Precarization and Insecurity in Turkey After the Coup Attempt: Era of Denizens in Turkey's New Media Order, Sarphan Uzunoglu / Part III: Resistance / 7. Social Movement Media and Affective Field: Construction of Activist Subjectivity as a 'Spirit' of Action, Alptug Okten / 8. Communication as Political Action: Gezi Park and Online Content Producers, Eylem Yanardagoglu / 9. Resisting Through Images: Video Activism in the Gezi Park Movement, Gulum Sener & Perrin OEgun Emre / 10. Contemporary Feminist Media in Turkey: A Study of Online Feminist Platform, Hanife Aliefendioglu / About the Contributors / Index
Working at the intersection of cultural studies, journalism and politics, Asker and McCollum have brought together a number of scholars and emerging voices who are speaking to the complexities and challenges thrown up by the recent changes to the media ecology in contemporary Turkey. In doing so, they have revivified the often talked about idea of 'alternative media'. -- Robert Porter, Director of the Centre for Media Research, Ulster University Written by solid experts on the field of media studies, this book provides a much-needed scholarship that illuminates the counter-hegemonic efforts of resistance against the authoritarian rule of the Justice and Development Party in Turkey. The contributions illustrate the efforts of journalists, activists and engaged citizens in providing alternative and accurate information in one of the most important loci of power. Highly recommended! -- Isabel David, Institute of Social and Political Sciences, University of Lisbon This is a much-needed volume that examines alternative media channels and practices in contemporary Turkey. In response to the new repressive media environment in Turkey, journalists and citizens turned to new Internet technologies and social media to overcome censorship and express marginalized voices. This book depicts the emergence, sustainability and resistance created by these new media practices in a polarized and repressive political environment through ten well-researched chapters. -- Ayca Alemdaroglu, Associate Director, Keyman Modern Turkish Studies Program, Buffett Institute for Global Studies Alternative Media in Contemporary Turkey is a welcome addition offering insight to the importance of alternative media in Turkey, a country where freedom of the press and chronic self-regulation of journalists have been long standing issues of concern. With a particular focus on Gezi Park protests, this book is an essential read for those interested in the transformative potential of digital media. -- Banu Akdenizli, Associate Professor of Communication at Northwestern University, Qatar
