The media portrayal of homosexuality in the Turkish press between 1998 and 2006

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi, Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2006

Öğrenci: ÖZLEM HOŞCAN

Danışman: AHMET RAŞİT KAYA

Özet:

In this study, the newspapers such as Hürriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Posta, Akşam, Sabah, Cumhuriyet, Star, Güneş, Takvim, Dünya, Gözcü and Yeni Asır are considered liberal or left leaning. The newspapers such as Akit, Milli Gazete, Yeni Asya, Anayurt, Türkiye, Yeni Şafak, Dünden Bugüne Tercüman, Vakit and Zaman are considered conservative or Islamic newspapers. The period chosen for this analysis is between 28.12.1998 and 15.06.2006, and all the news items published in this period are scrutinised in the archive of the Parliament Library, where there is a special category for the news on homosexuality and homosexuals. First, the news items of the newspapers mentioned above are categorised as presented in the tables prepared. Through these tables, a general perspective on the press coverage in Turkey is revealed by the analysis of the evaluations of the general features of this coverage on homosexuality and homosexuals. Second, an extensive textual analysis is carried out by analysing the news texts regarding three common events covered in most of the newspapers mentioned above to reflect a more accurate and detailed account of the representation of homosexuality and homosexuals in the Turkish Daily Press. Moreover, in-depth interviews are conducted with homosexuals to find out their point of view on the portrayal of themselves in the Turkish Daily Press. Finally, the findings of the analysis of the press coverage of homosexuality and homosexuals, and the findings of the interviews are compared.