“Rape News Are Used As Pornographic News”

Hülya Tanrıöver of Women’s Media Observation Group (MEDİZ) urges for a more responsible news making in the case of rape incidents, so that the reader can be directed towards thinking about the social and legal dimensions of such incidents.

Emine Özcan

Associate Prof. Hülya Uğur Tanrıöver of Women’s Media Observation Group (MEDİZ) thinks that the reason the media publishes the news of the raped woman in such a way as to reveal her identity is to use it as a pornographic material for men.

The newspapers Hurriyet and Posta used the picture of the rape victim, covering her eyes only, to tell what happened to her in the last four months since she was raped and they both listed which TV series and movie films in which she has played.

“These kinds of news can even be inviting”

Stating that Mediz’s reason for existence is to prevent this kind of sexist news making, Tanrıöver reminded what the victim said: “I will no more give full accounts since I do not want what happened to me to be used as a masturbation tool.”

According to Tanrıöver, “These are perhaps words said out of anger, but it is difficult not to agree with them. In fact, a title such as ‘the beautiful movie player told the story of the rape she experienced’ gives the idea that as if it is normal to be raped when someone is beautiful and a movie player and such news can be very inviting for the men.

“It is necessary to have up to date professional training in the media”

Tanrıöver says turning the rape incidents into news is a very serious subject. “This is a subject we as MEDİZ discuss among us, asking ourselves how we would turn such incidents into news. Of course one should not be sexist. There should at least not be photographs and the identities should not be revealed.”

However, Tanrıöver thinks the most important thing is that the need for the professional organizations and the media institutions to form a constantly updated training programs within their bünye.

About the question towards what the rape news should be directed, Tanrıöver’s answer was “Victim’s identity, her personal information should not be revealed and thus used as pornographic material; the reader should be directed towards thinking about the social and legal dimension of the rape. (EZÖ/TB)