How to Understand the Editorial Coverage of Turkey by the British Quality Journalists

Hamid-turksoy, N. (2012). How to Understand the Editorial Coverage of Turkey by the British Quality Journalists. IPSA Political Communication Session (RC22), Masaryk University, Brno, 8-9 November.

Abstract: Editorials have a special and important role within the pages of the newspapers. They neither has a large emphasis to be objective, nor play attention to traditional news writing practices. Instead, they are openly persuasive and enjoy the spinning power of reflecting directly the acknowledged position of the newspaper on a specific point. Editorials are also one of the best sites for observing how quality newspapers treat political topics about an ally country, in this case Turkey. Much of the existing empirical research on Turkey’s representation in European media argue that British press construct a pro-Turkey discourse by strongly supporting Ankara’s EU ambition for membership. This study focuses on the journalistic representation of contemporary Turkey as presented within the context of political media discourse in the editorials of three influential British newspapers: The Guardian, Financial Times and The Daily Telegraph. Without limiting the topics, it analyses a broader timeline between 2005 and 2010 and aims to find out what arguments the three national quality newspapers construct in their overall editorial storylines and what kind of discourses journalists articulate to draw a representation toward Turkey. A discourse analysis to 48 editorial texts indicates that 3 topics occupy the press: (1) Turkey’s European Union membership process; (2) domestic political atmosphere; (3) Turkey problematic relations with neighbours. Although Turkey has high number of human rights record, three ideologically opposing newspapers had created a rather consistent language by overemphasizing Turkey as a strategic power and a young, secular, Muslim state that can create a bridge between Christian Europe and the Muslim East. Paradoxically, with no polarization of opinion the three papers converge on the achievements of the governing Islamic rooted Justice and Development Party. Reforms of the JDP are treated as newsworthy; while opposing parties views, representing half of the Turkish population’s vote, remains absent.