THE ROLE of IDEOLOGY in NEWS PRODUCTION: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYIS of NEWS REPORTS on VIOLENT INCIDENTS TARGETING SYRIAN REFUGEES

İpek Tok

Article Details

THE ROLE of IDEOLOGY in NEWS PRODUCTION: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYIS of NEWS REPORTS on VIOLENT INCIDENTS TARGETING SYRIAN REFUGEES

Authors:

İpek Tok

Publisher:

Gumushane University

Main Topics:

İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Journal:

Gümüşhane Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi Elektronik Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 1, pp.141-162

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001344682

pISSN:

2146-3301

Keywords:

Abstract:

 On July 1, 2024, allegations of a Syrian individual molesting a child, reportedly a relative, sparked widespread protests and violence in Kayseri, Turkey. Local residents took to the streets, demonstrating against the Syrian community and causing significant damage to numerous Syrian-owned homes, businesses, and vehicles. The unrest quickly spread to other provinces, leading to numerous arrests and extensive media coverage. This study aims to analyze media representations of the violent incidents targeting Syrian refugees in Kayseri. Employing Critical Discourse Analysis CDA, the research examines news coverage in three newspapers representing distinct ideological positions within the Turkish media landscape: Birgün left-wing, Hürriyet liberalcenter-right, and Yeni Şafak right-wingconservative. The analysis reveals distinct framings of the Kayseri events across the selected newspapers. Birgün characterizes the incident as a racist attack attributing responsibility to the government. In contrast, Yeni Şafak portrays the events as a provocation placing blame on provocateurs. Hürriyet adopts a more centrist position, alluding to those responsible indirectly and downplaying the scale of the violence, opting for a less sensationalized narrative. Yeni Şafak and Hürriyet extensively reproduce government narratives through direct quotations, effectively amplifying and legitimizing the dominant discourse. This suggests that these newspapers play a role in reinforcing existing power structures. The study concludes that news production is significantly shaped by ideological considerations. Despite covering the same incident, each outlet constructs a distinct narrative reflecting its ideological references. The analysis demonstrates that a newspapers ideology acts as a primary filter shaping the construction of news discourse.

 On July 1, 2024, allegations of a Syrian individual molesting a child, reportedly a relative, sparked widespread protests and violence in Kayseri, Turkey. Local residents took to the streets, demonstrating against the Syrian community and causing significant damage to numerous Syrian-owned homes, businesses, and vehicles. The unrest quickly spread to other provinces, leading to numerous arrests and extensive media coverage. This study aims to analyze media representations of the violent incidents targeting Syrian refugees in Kayseri. Employing Critical Discourse Analysis CDA, the research examines news coverage in three newspapers representing distinct ideological positions within the Turkish media landscape: Birgün left-wing, Hürriyet liberalcenter-right, and Yeni Şafak right-wingconservative. The analysis reveals distinct framings of the Kayseri events across the selected newspapers. Birgün characterizes the incident as a racist attack attributing responsibility to the government. In contrast, Yeni Şafak portrays the events as a provocation placing blame on provocateurs. Hürriyet adopts a more centrist position, alluding to those responsible indirectly and downplaying the scale of the violence, opting for a less sensationalized narrative. Yeni Şafak and Hürriyet extensively reproduce government narratives through direct quotations, effectively amplifying and legitimizing the dominant discourse. This suggests that these newspapers play a role in reinforcing existing power structures. The study concludes that news production is significantly shaped by ideological considerations. Despite covering the same incident, each outlet constructs a distinct narrative reflecting its ideological references. The analysis demonstrates that a newspapers ideology acts as a primary filter shaping the construction of news discourse.

 On July 1, 2024, allegations of a Syrian individual molesting a child, reportedly a relative, sparked widespread protests and violence in Kayseri, Turkey. Local residents took to the streets, demonstrating against the Syrian community and causing significant damage to numerous Syrian-owned homes, businesses, and vehicles. The unrest quickly spread to other provinces, leading to numerous arrests and extensive media coverage. This study aims to analyze media representations of the violent incidents targeting Syrian refugees in Kayseri. Employing Critical Discourse Analysis CDA, the research examines news coverage in three newspapers representing distinct ideological positions within the Turkish media landscape: Birgün left-wing, Hürriyet liberalcenter-right, and Yeni Şafak right-wingconservative. The analysis reveals distinct framings of the Kayseri events across the selected newspapers. Birgün characterizes the incident as a racist attack attributing responsibility to the government. In contrast, Yeni Şafak portrays the events as a provocation placing blame on provocateurs. Hürriyet adopts a more centrist position, alluding to those responsible indirectly and downplaying the scale of the violence, opting for a less sensationalized narrative. Yeni Şafak and Hürriyet extensively reproduce government narratives through direct quotations, effectively amplifying and legitimizing the dominant discourse. This suggests that these newspapers play a role in reinforcing existing power structures. The study concludes that news production is significantly shaped by ideological considerations. Despite covering the same incident, each outlet constructs a distinct narrative reflecting its ideological references. The analysis demonstrates that a newspapers ideology acts as a primary filter shaping the construction of news discourse.

 1 Temmuz 2024 tarihinde, bir Suriyelinin, akrabası olan bir çocuğu taciz ettiği iddiası üzerine Kayseride yaşanan olaylarda, bölgede yaşayan halk protesto gösterileri düzenleyerek Suriyelilere ait çok sayıda ev, işyeri ve araca zarar vermiştir. Yaşanan şiddet olayları farklı illere de sıçramış, çok sayıda insan tutuklanmış ve olaylar medyada geniş bir biçimde yer almıştır. Çalışmanın amacı, Kayseride yaşanan ve Suriyeli sığınmacıları hedef alan şiddet olaylarının medyaya nasıl yansıdığını ortaya koymaktır. Eleştirel söylem analizi yönteminin benimsendiği çalışmada, sol basını temsilen Birgün, liberalmerkez sağ basını temsilen Hürriyet ve sağmuhafazakâr basını temsilen Yeni Şafak gazeteleri seçilmiştir. Buna göre Birgün Gazetesinin olayı ırkçı saldırı, olayın sorumlusunu ise iktidar olarak gördüğü, Yeni Şafak Gazetesinin ise sorumluları provokatör, yaşanan olayları ise provokasyon olarak yansıttığı görülmüştür. Hürriyet Gazetesi ise sorumluları dolaylı yollardan anlatmış, olayları fazla büyütmemeyi tercih ederek daha merkezi bir konumda yer almıştır. Yeni Şafak ve Hürriyet gazeteleri, iktidar söylemlerini geniş bir biçimde yer verdiği doğrudan alıntılarla sunmuştur. Dolayısıyla söz konusu gazetelerin egemen söylemi yeniden ürettiğini ve meşrulaştırdığını söylemek mümkündür. Çalışmada, haber üretiminin ideolojik farklılıklar çerçevesinde gerçekleştirildiği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. İdeolojik olarak farklı referanslara sahip gazetelerde, aynı konu, farklı biçimlerde işlenmiştir. Haber söyleminin inşa edilme sürecinde, gazetelerin ideolojisi, en temel belirleyici konumunda yer almıştır.

Article Details

THE ROLE of IDEOLOGY in NEWS PRODUCTION: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYIS of NEWS REPORTS on VIOLENT INCIDENTS TARGETING SYRIAN REFUGEES

Authors:

İpek Tok

Publisher:

Gumushane University

Main Topics:

İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Journal:

Gümüşhane Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi Elektronik Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 1, pp.141-162

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001344682

pISSN:

2146-3301

Syrian refugees

Violence

News

Ideology

Critical discourse analysisSuriyeli sığınmacı

Şiddet

Haber

İdeoloji

Eleştirel söylem çözümlemesi

Issues

Article Details

Authors: İpek Tok

Publisher: Gumushane University

Main Topics: İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Journal: Gümüşhane Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi Elektronik Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 1, pp.141-162

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 3/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001344682

pISSN: 2146-3301

Issues

Authors:

İpek Tok

Publisher:

Gumushane University

Main Topics:

İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)

Journal:

Gümüşhane Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi Elektronik Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 1, pp.141-162

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001344682

pISSN:

2146-3301