BİA² Local Media Training Program in Trabzon
Representatives from the Trabzon branch of the Turkish Journalists' Society and the Turkish Freedom for Children Foundation also attended the seminar held at the Seaside Facilities of School of Tourism and Hotel Management at the Black Sea Technical University on November 20-21.
The program was made up of presentations on "The Dilemmas of Media and the Pursuit for New Methods of Reporting," "Responsible Journalism Principles," "New Regulations on the Rights of Women, Children and Minorities in the Path toward European Union," "News Value of Struggles for Rights," and "Local Media Tells of Reporting." Attendants also participated in a workshop titled, "Reporting examples based on rights," in three separate groups of newspaper, radio and television reporters.
Dr. Ciler Dursun from the Communications School at Ankara University, Prof. Dr. Levent Koker from the Law School at Atilim University, Associate-Professor Dr. Gulgun Tosun from the Communications School at Ege University, Oguz Haksever from NTV television, Murat Celikkan from Radikal newspaper, Serif Erol, the former broadcasting coordinator of Acik Radyo (Open Radio) and Ragip Duran from the Communications School at the Galatasaray University made presentations during the workshop attended by local reporters from the provinces of Artvin, Giresun, Ordu, Rize, Samsun and Trabzon.
The seminar began with a speech by Ertugrul Kurkcu, the coordinator of BIA2. Ahmet Sefik Mollamahmtoglu, the Secretary-General of Trabzon Journalists' Society, briefly introduced the local media in Trabzon.
After a description of the BIA2 project, the program made up of presentations, discussions and workshops, began.
During the first session, Ragip Duran and Dr. Dursun made separate presentations on "The Dilemmas of Media and the Pursuit for New Methods of Reporting," and "Responsible Journalism Principles." Journalist Duran, during his presentation, put forward the idea that the media could shake off the current state of degeneration and embrace again the values of the past. Duran emphasized that it is important for local reporters to be objective in their relations with and in addressing local administrators, like mayors, so that the resulting news story can also be objective.
Dr. Dursun, who spoke after Duran, started a discussion on the methods of covering news on human rights violations by giving examples of a couple of news stories broadcast by a television channel, and how news could be read differently.
"We should cover a story knowing that we are setting down a balance of power about the lives of those people who are the subjects of our story," said Dursun before ending the session.
In the second session on Saturday, participants broke up into groups of "newspaper, radio and television reporting," for the workshop on "Reporting examples based on rights."
During the workshop by the television group, led by Oguz Haksever, the presenter of the "Ve Insan" (And Human) program on NTV television, participants spoke about the opportunities of "telling by showing," storifying the news and the importance of determining a focus.
During the workshop by the radio group, led by Serif Erol, the former broadcasting coordinator of Acik Radyo, participants spoke about differences between radio reporting and other methods of reporting, the earthquake communication center example, where Acik Radyo was used as a radio-set circuit after the August 1999 earthquake, and the distinction between impartiality and objectivity in reporting.
The radio and television reporters spoke about the problems they faced in preparing, narrating and constructing a news story or program and the language being used. They also proposed solutions.
During the workshop by newspaper reporters, led by Murat Celikkan from Radikal newspaper, participants spoke about the working conditions of newspaper reporters, human rights reporting, and storifying human rights violations, and discussed examples from local and national media. The most lively discussion took place on whether a reporter should have a national identity or not.
The groups joined together after the workshops and commented on the discussions together. The people who led the workshops and one representative from each workshop summarized the issues that were discussed.
The Saturday program ended with a two-hour tour of Trabzon and dinner.
The second day of the seminar began with a presentation by Prof. Koker on "New Regulations on the Rights of Women, Children and Minorities in the Path toward the European Union."
Koker emphasized that the reporters' perception of human rights and approach to the issue of rights is very important in storifying the issue.
Koker also talked about the developments in European Union-Turkey relations and the agreements Turkey has signed since 1987. "For example, the Copenhagen Criteria were present in the Paris Conditions Turkey signed," said Koker.
"However, people now think that the EU has come up with new conditions." During Koker's presentation, the definition of cultural and social rights from the reporters' point of view, were also discussed.
The first presentation of the second session on Sunday was on "News Value of Struggles for Rights," by Tosun. Tosun began his presentation by asking whether media is the fourth power. He said the media should be "not the voice of the political power but rather the voice of the public space including the civil society." Tosun said language is ideological and added that the most important problem faced by rights organizations were linguistic stigmatization. "If human rights is not a personal issue for you, how influential can you be as a reporter?" Tosun asked the participants.
Tosun also gave examples of human rights violations that were in the media after Turkey passed the EU harmonization laws.
During the last presentation of the meeting, BIA2 coordinator Ertugrul Kurkcu talked about bianet, the news Web site of BIA2. He expressed hope that the coordination would continue and asked the reporters to send stories to bianet and to feel free to use stories that are on the bianet site.
The Trabzon seminar of BIA2 project ended with an assessment meeting with the participation of all trainers and participants. Local reporters said the seminar was very beneficial for them. They asked for more workshops during seminars.
Participants of the Meeting:
Artvin: Tuncer Erer "Demokrat Coruh" (Democratic Coruh), Orhan Sengun "Serhat Artvin Gazetesi" (Serhat Artvin Newspaper), Erdogan Atasert "7 Mart Gazetesi" (March 7 Newspaper), Cevdet Agduman "Yusufeli Haber Gazetesi" (Yusufeli Newspaper), Zeki Alkan "Alkan Gazetesi" (Alkan Newspaper), Sedat Varan "08 Haber Gazetesi" (08 Newspaper), Hakan Aydin "08 FM."
Giresun: Ufuk Kekul "Yeni Giresun" (New Giresun), Saliha Yayla "Ekspres Gazetesi" (Express Newspaper), Yeter Veyisoglu "Ekspres Gazetesi", Taylan Gulertekin "Yesil Giresun" (Green Giresun), Namik Baltaoglu "Yerel Gundem" (Local Agenda), Ismet Kucukteyrek "Tempo TV."
Ordu: Esma Gurel "Unye Haber Gazetesi" (Unye Newspaper), Hacer Coskun "Unye Gundem Gazetesi" (Unye Agenda Newspaper), Baris Pamukcu "Melodi FM" (Melody FM), Tugba Gudek "Unye Flash FM", Sibel Ozturk "Kanal 52" (Channel 52), Derya Yilmaz "Kanal 52", Senay Tezel "Flash TV", Burcin Eren "Hizmet TV" (Service TV).
Rize: Ahmet Çakir "Gunes Gazetesi" (Sun Newspaper), Zehra Tufekci "Rize Gazetesi" (Rize Newspaper), A.Kadir Gumusler "Karadeniz Haber Gazetesi" (Black Sea Newspaper), Omer San "Gazeteci" (Reporter), Erkan Mahmutoglu "Kackar FM", Muammer Baloglu "Rizenin Sesi radyosu (Rize's Voice Radio), Ali Osman Aykut "Karadeniz Umut Radyo" (Black Sea Hope Radio), Duygu Mahmutoglu "Kackar TV."
Samsun: Makbule Efe "Samsun Medya FM" (Samsun Media FM), Kenan Engizli "Klas TV" (Class TV).
Trabzon: Ali Ayasu "Karadeniz Gazetesi" (Black Sea Newspaper), Aydin Gelleci "Karadeniz Gune Bakis" (Black Sea Look at the Day), Levent Ustabasi "Turksesi Gazetesi" (Turks' Voice Newspaper), Faruk Tandogan "Radyo Aktif" (Radio Active), Serkan Turk "Radyo Aktif", Samet Guney "Mavi TV" (Blue TV), Ahmet Sefik Mollamahmutohlu (Secretary General of Trabzon Journalists' Society), Lawyer Sibel Suicmen (Trabzon branch head of the Turkish Freedom for Children Foundation). (AB/BB/EA/YE)