Written by Kristin McConnell '15, PPRI Member
A British researcher and journalist we met in Istanbul, Gareth Jenkins, used this old, Persian saying to describe the attitude of Turkish media. The press freedom situation in Turkey is depressing, with the highest number of journalists in jail for their work, and almost all in the profession intimidated into intense self-censorship. Gareth Jenkins believes that this pervasive atmosphere of self-censorship is the most alarming and worrisome attribute of Turkey’s growing press freedom crisis. And as we’ve discovered, those who do speak out often stand alone. Both Gareth and another journalist we met with spoke of a lack of solidarity among Turkish journalists. Journalists are not banning together to fight for press freedom; many are intimidated or do not want to lose their financially pleasing positions.
