Rights Journalism Trainning in Diyarbakir

The first of the training seminars of the "The Network for Monitoring and Covering Media Freedom and Independent Journalism" (BIA²) Project by IPS Communications Foundation and Independent Communications Network, was held in the province of Diyarbakir on October 9-10, 2004.

A total of 51 reporters from local newspapers, radio stations and television channels from 11 Eastern and Southeastern provinces, and representatives from the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TIHV) and Women's Center (Ka-Mer) attended the seminar at the Dedeman Hotel.

The training program comprised of the following topics: "The dilemmas of the media and the quest for new reporting methods," "Principles of responsible reporting," "Examples of reporting based on rights, regulations on the rights of the women, children and minorities in the European Union process," "News value of rights struggles," "New fields of reporting: Reporting on

Rights."

Dr. Ciler Dursun from the Communications Faculty of Ankara University, Prof. Dr. Levent Koker from the Law Faculty of Atilim University, Associate-Prof. Dr. Gulgun Tosun from the Communications Faculty of Ege University, Husnu Ondul, the president of Human Rights Association, Oguz Haksever from NTV, Omer Madra from "Acik" (Open) Radio, Ragip Duran from the Communications Faculty of Galatasaray University and writer Seyhmus Diken from Diyarbakir participated in the seminar.

The attendants were local media employees from the provinces of Gaziantep, Van, Diyarbakir, Sanliurfa, Adiyaman, Sivas, Erzincan, Siirt, Batman, Malatya and Igdir.

The seminar began with the opening speech of Nadire Mater, the advisor of BIA². Naci Sapan, the head of the Southeast Journalists' Society made a short speech on the importance of training.

The training program began after Ayliz Baskin, the deputy project coordinator, spoke about the BIA² project. The program was composed of presentations, discussions and workshops.

During the first session on Saturday, Dr. Dursun and journalist Duran made presentations on "The dilemmas of the media and the quest for new reporting methods," and "Principles of responsible reporting."

The participants commented on reporting methods, and different ways of presenting the news by taking a news story aired on a TV channel 10 years ago as an example. For the workshop on "Reporting based on rights," during the second session, the participants broke into three groups of "print media," "radio" and "television."

During the workshop directed by Oguz Haksever, who presents the "Ve Insan" (And Humans) program on the private NTV television, the participants discussed the potential of visual news, and ways of storifying news and providing images.

Acik Radio General Manager Omer Madra and Prof. Dr. Gulgun Tosun discussed with the local radio owners, presenters and reporters, reporting based on rights and program production by using Acik Radio as an example.

The radio and television reporters at the two separate workshops shared the problems they are faced with during production, writing, editing and the about the language to be used. They also made proposals on how to solve these problems.

The participants in the "print media" workshop discussed the importance of asking: "what is the reality in the news and can it be reflected in every respect?" "are the sides in question in the news," and the importance of questioning the objectivity of the reporter. They then studied news clips paying attention to the aforementioned questions.

Ragip Duran, Nadire Mater and Seyhmus Diken focused on ways the local reporters can gain access to news, the relations of reporters with their sources, and the effect the expressions used in the news have on the objectivity of the report.

Seyhmus Diken, who also serves as advisor to the Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality, said local reporters should prepare news that they can defend and talked about the relationship between local administrations and reporters.

Duran said it is important for the objectivity of the news that reporters are objective in their relations with public officials such as governors and mayors.

Mater said while the national media is unrestrictedly criticized during such gatherings, it is difficult to evaluate the local media and added that the local media should not be exempt from criticism. Though news clips from the local media, the participants discussed especially the language used by local media.

At the end of the workshops the reporters also shared their problems on sources, law, and news writing.

The Saturday program ended with a city tour by Seyhmus Diken, who has books on Diyarbakir.

On the second and last day of the seminar, Prof Koker made the first presentation on "Human Rights, and the Rights of Women, Children, and Minorities, and new regulations approved during the EU process."

Koker talked about how the notion of "human rights" has changed and developed since it first emerged. He gave examples of how the notion is defined through its different aspects and discussed the definitions of "cultural/social rights" in terms of reporters.

Koker discussed with the participants, the issue of writing religion and origin definitions on identification cards, and how the rights of those discriminated against because of their sexual identity, religion and mother tongue should be defined.

The last session on the "News value of rights struggles" started with Gulgun Tosun's briefing on the conceptions based on "democracy and rights." Tosun later gave examples of news reports about human rights violations after the approval of EU harmonization laws.

Husnu Ondul of the Human Rights Association (IHD) gave information on the way the IHD works, its branches, the fact that its members cannot be members of political parties, and the fact that the association takes into consideration all complaints about human rights violations without exceptions.

Ondul said the national media either ignores IHD's reports and statements, which are all backed up by concrete documents, or reflects them falsely. Ondul cited a research in 2003, which revealed that the IHD is the second-best known institution for human rights issues after the European Court of Human Rights. However, IHD is accused of being divisive or a part of a terrorist organization, added Ondul.

Ciler Dursun, who made the last presentation of the training program, gave examples of television news and had participants discuss the way human rights violations are covered.

The first seminar of the BIA² project held in Diyarbakir ended with an evaluation meeting by all instructors and participants.

The participants requested that more reporters, and especially women reporters attend the seminars, that there are more presentations on sexual discrimination in news, and that the seminar tries to provide practical solutions to the problems of the reporters. (OG/EA/YE)

Participants

Adiyaman: Sevim Kilinc from "Ucan Supurge" (Flying Broom Women's Organization), Abuzer Demir from "Adiyaman'a Bugun" (Today to Adiyaman), Naif Karabatak from "Antik Perre" Magazine, Tekin Sahin from "Milad" Newspaper, Iskender Korkut from "Mercan" (Coral) TV, Halit Ozdemir from "Radio Life," Mustafa Isildak from "Adiyaman'da Bugun" (Today in Adiyaman), Celil Kocatas from "Guney" (South) Radio.

Batman: Hakan Sapan from "Son Soz" (Last Word) newspaper, M. Ferit Izgi from "Batman" newspaper, Seyhmus Temiz from "Isik" (Light) newspaper, Osman Seyrek from "Batman Dogus" (Batman Birth) Newspaper, Yusuf Uyanik from "Batman Umut" (Batman Hope) Newspaper.

Diyarbakir: Naci Sapan, the head of the Southeast Journalists' Society and the general manager of the "Guneydogu Ekspres" (Southeastern Express), Muhsin Bilal from Turkish Human Rights Foundation, M. Ali Ayhan from "ART TV," Bulent Boztepe from "Cermik" newspaper.

Erzincan: Nafiz Ozmen (freelance journalist)

Gaziantep: Murat Gures from the Journalists' Society, Bekir Sahin from "Haber" (News) newspaper, Niyazi Polat from "Gunes" (Sun) newspaper, Ahmet Aksoy from "Olusum" (Formation) newspaper, Keziban Karaaslan from ART Arts Center.

Igdir: Aydin Deniz from "Igdir" FM TV

Malatya: M. Duran Ozkan from "Gunes" (Sun) TV, Semih Onen from Radio 44 FM, Umut Bozkurtoglu from "Radyo Kent" (Radio City), Ali Zafer from "Radyo Zafer" (Radio Victory), Vahap Duner from "Hamle" (Stride) newspaper, Hasan Kara from "Gercek" (Reality) newspaper, Ibrahim Cakir from "Gercek" newspaper, Huseyin Canbey from "Hakimiyet" (Domination) newspaper, Ibrahim Gocmen from "Son nokta" (Last Point), Haydar Karaduman, the head of the Journalists' Society.

Siirt: Murat Bardak from "Oz Adalet" (Genuine Justice), Mevlut Demir from Metropol 56 FM, Turan Koyuncu from "Son Soz" (Last Word) newspaper, Cumhur Kiliccioglu from "Mucadele" (Struggle) newspaper, Diya Yarayan from "Akademi" (Academy) newspaper, Fehmi Budak from "Dogus" (Birth) newspaper

Sivas: Kemal Atamturk from "Arkadas" (Friend) radio, Erdem Ozden (freelance), Metin Kavak from Sivas TV, Buket Dogan from RTV 58, Binali Aydin from FM 58, Eyup Aksac from Caglar FM

Sanliurfa: Ismail Dag from Radio "Net", A.Kadir Celikkan from Sanlıurfa Radio TV, Salih Unlu from Radio Media.

Van: Izzettin Oktay from "Pusula" (Compass) newspaper