140journos: A Counter Media Movement
140journos is an independent "counter media" movement without an editorial controlling system that defends free journalism.
"As for what 140journos means, the 140 reference in our name reflects the 140 character limit of Twitter posts", the 140journos explain.
The movement was created by students from various universities who set out to provide "real-time, objective news reported by independent, volunteer, local correspondents through social media tools from all around the world".
Right now, 140journos has a team of 20 students from different departments from visual communication design to law, none of whom is a journalism student.
The students are carrying out interdisciplinary media studies. Everybody contributes with news according to their own field of expertise and perspective. What they all have in common is their sensitiveness for social events, they say.
The movement was kicked off during the commemoration march for assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink on 19 January. After that, the 140journos made their voices heard in the context of the OdaTV trial. They constantly emphasize, "We are not journalists, we are a new counter media movement".
Voluntary reporters, independent journalism
Co-founder Engin Önder said in an interview with bianet, "Also bianet publishes issues that are generally excluded by the main stream. You put more attention to the news and you publish articles of academics on current topics. We were inspired by that".
Yet, the actual starting point was "the disturbance felt about the insufficient public reporting of justice-cracking trials concerning the KCK or Oda TV".
Önder explained, "We were thinking about how to break through this censorship and the Arab riots were an example for us how the social media can change the routine. We decided to apply the idea of live twitter as done at the Institute of Creative Minds to journalism because twitter is a real-time platform that cannot be censored".
140journos is going to be developed and enlarged as an independent, commercial-free and entirely voluntary movement. It is based on a system of voluntary reporters.
For now, reporters come from Istanbul only but it seems that publications from other cities will follow soon. A lawyer from Adana (eastern Mediterranean coast) has even joined the movement already as a voluntary reporter.
Social media against mass media
Önder summarized the movement as follows: "We do not publish a newspaper, nor do we bother about printing, a satellite carrier or a place on television. In an environment like twitter where information can be given by the second, we want local correspondents to produce true and unbiased contents. All our reporters are volunteers. They want to change the system and they have nothing to lose. This is the concept reflected by 140journos".
140journos do not support corporate journalism because it entails different dynamics and brings about "things to lose".
"We oppose the main stream media and recommend and apply the efficient use of social media instead. That way, we make this counter movement a reality", Önder emphasized.
Another issue highlighted by Önder is the fact that their method does not require any cost.
"This method does not require any cost other than a phone with internet. Considering the price-performance ratio, starting a movement from twitter is one of the most effective things to do with zero cost".
140journos follow Oda TV court hearing
Positive reactions about 140journos after the tweets sent from the last Oda TV court hearing sparked their motivation regarding both the concept of journalism and the method used.
140journos do not only observe the trials but also conduct interviews with journalists and activists waiting outside the courtroom.
Önder noted, "Some people do not want to speak to television channels or newspapers. People have a much more positive approach when we tell them that we are a movement based on social media. Even people we did not expect to talk at all give us interviews".
While tweets are coming from inside the courtroom, interviews can be followed by social media users in real-time on Sound Cloud.
140journos are doing live broadcasts in English and Turkish from the Oda TV court hearing on Friday (27 January) both from inside and outside the courtroom. (ÇT/VK)
These are the official accounts that you can follow 140journos on social media platforms:
http://flickr.com/photos/140journos