Media Watch Platform to be Founded

To dwell on the issue, experts, journalists and NGO representatives have gathered together last weekend with the initiative of Communication Research Association (İLAD) and Turkish Journalists' Association.

During the gathering, a founders committee has been established to formulate the goals, functioning and working methods of the platform. Participants decided to proceed with a loose organization, which would enable various institutions to join the initiative.

İLAD chair Hıfzı Topuz presented a basic text based on a research on similar organizations abroad.

As a result, the platform will follow up the news media in the country and reveal unethical and faulty conduct to the public to raise awareness on media literacy.

Quoting French example of ACRIMED (Action Critique Médias) or international institutions like Media Watch Global, Topuz said: "News should cease to be treated as a commodity and we, as Turkish media workers, experts, academics must organize and accomplish this goal".

TGC chair Orhan Erinç welcomed the initiative and declared the association's solidarity.

Independent Communication Network (BİA²) project consultant Nadire Mater features among the members of the founders committee. Other members are as follows:

İLAD chair Hıfzı Topuz, TGC chair Orhan Erinç, Turkey's Union of Journalists (TGS) chair Ercan İpekçi, Revolutionary Confederation of Workers' Unions (DİSK) chair Süleyman Çelebi, Doğuş University staff Prof. Aysel Aziz, Maltepe University staff Prof.Dr. Betül Çotuksöken, Galatasaray University (GSÜ) staff Prof. Dr. Yasemin İnceoğlu, GSÜ and İLAD member Füsun Özbilgen, BİA² consultant Nadire Mater, GSÜ staff and BİA² seminar consultant Ragıp Duran, Anadolu University staff Ali Murat Vural, Turkish Radio Television News Center worker Engin Başçı, journalist-researcher Mustafa Sönmez, TGC member Recep Yaşar and Architects Guild member Oktay Ekinci ve writer Kemal Bekir. (EÖ/TK/EÜ)