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Covering Turkey: The Dilemmas of Foreign Correspondents between the Desk and the Field

Year 2014, Issue: 20, 99 - 116, 24.10.2014
https://doi.org/10.16878/gsuilet.64673

Abstract

In the last decade, Turkey’s appeal for international news organizations has risen dramatically. In 1991, there were 85 accredited foreign reporters based in Turkey, the number was recorded as 145 in 2000, 200 in 2005. At the end of 2013, there were 317 accredited members of the foreign media, working for 284 different media organizations. This study accounts for the noticeable increase in the number of foreign correspondents in Turkey. By analyzing data collected via 20 in-depth interviews and online questionnaires, it offers insight on the personal and professional characteristics and practices of foreign journalists covering Turkey. The findings suggest that correspondents “feel responsible” for
explaining the complexities in Turkey for their audiences, highlighting the dilemmas between the “desk” and the “field”. They also indicate that
Istanbul as an emerging global city does in its own right attracts new media connections.

keywords: foreign correspondent, Turkey, journalists, foreign,
news, international

References

  • AIM Research Consortium (2007), Reporting and Managing European News, Final Report of the Project, “Adequate Information Management in Europe” 2004-2007. Bochum, Germany: projektverlag
  • BEK Gencel Mine (2011), “Turkish and International Journalists Comparing the Media Systems, Journalistic Practices and News Production Process”, Media Research, 17 (1-2): 177-197
  • BOYD-BARRET Oliver, RANTANEN Terhi (eds.) (1998), “The Globalization of News”, O. Boyd-Barret and T. Rantanen (Eds), The Globalization of News, London, Sage
  • HACHTEN A. William, SCOTTON F. James (2007), The World News Prism: Global Information in a Satellite Age, Oxford, Blackwell Publishing
  • HAHN Oliver, LÖNNENDONKER Julia (2009), “Transatlantic Foreign Reporting and Foreign Correspondents After 9/11 Trends in Reporting Europe in the United States”, International Journal of Press/Politics, 14 (4): 497-515
  • HAMILTON M. John and JENNER Eric (2004), “Redefining Foreign Correspondence”, Journalism, 5 (3): 301-321
  • HELD David et al. (1999), Global Tranformations Politics, Economics and Culture, Oxford, Polity
  • HESMONDALGH David (2006), Media Production, Maidenhead and New York, Open University Press
  • HESS Stephen (1996), International news & foreign correspondents. Washington, D.C., Brookings Institution.
  • KESTER Bernadette (2010), “The art of Balancing: Foreign correspondents in non-democratic countries: The Russian case”, International Communication Gazette: Special Issue on Transparency in Foreign Reporting, 72 (1): 51-69
  • LIVINGSTONE Steven and ASMOLOV Gregory (2010), “Networks and the Future of Foreign Affairs”, Journalism Studies, 11(5) : 745 - 760
  • MCPHAIL L. Thomas (2005), Global Communication Theories, Stakeholders, and Trends, Oxford, John Wiley & Sons
  • PATERSON Chris, SREBERNY Annabelle (eds.) (2004), International News in the 21st Century, Eastleigh, University of Luton Press
  • SAKR Naomi (2010), “News, Transparency and the Effectiveness of Reporting From Inside Arab Dictatorships”, International Communication Gazette: Special Issue on Transparency in Foreign Reporting, 72 (1): 33-50
  • TOPUZ Hıfzı (2003), Türk Basın Tarihi: II. Mahmut’tan Holdinglere, İstanbul, Remzi Kitabevi
  • WILNAT Lars, WEAVER David (2003), “Through their eyes: The work of foreign correspondents in the United States”, Journalism, 4 (4) : 403-422
  • WILLIAMS Kevin (2011), International Journalism, London, Sage
  • VRAGAS Lucas, PAULIN Lisa (2007), “Rethinking ‘Foreign News’ from a transnational perspective”, in David Perlmutter and John Maxwell Hamilton (eds.), From Pigeons to News Portals: Foreign Reporting and the Challenge of New Technology, Baton Rouge, Louisiana University Press: 20-25
  • YANARDAĞOĞLU Eylem, TILIÇ L. Doğan (forthcoming), “Foreign Correspondents in Turkey: Between the home and host agendas”, in George Terzis (ed.), Mapping Foreign Correspondence in Europe, London, Routledge
  • YEMMA, John (2007), “Instant Connection-Foreign news comes from the Cold”, in David Perlmutter and John Maxwell Hamilton (eds), From Pigeons to News Portals: Foreign Reporting and the Challenge of New Technology, Baton Rouge, Louisiana University Press: 110-122.

Covering Turkey: The Dilemmas of Foreign Correspondents between the Desk and the Field

Year 2014, Issue: 20, 99 - 116, 24.10.2014
https://doi.org/10.16878/gsuilet.64673

Abstract

In the last decade, Turkey’s appeal for international news organizations has risen dramatically. In 1991, there were 85 accredited foreign reporters based in Turkey, the number was recorded as 145 in 2000, 200 in 2005. At the end of 2013, there were 317 accredited members of the foreign media, working for 284 different media organizations. This study accounts for the noticeable increase in the number of foreign correspondents in Turkey. By analyzing data collected via 20 in-depth interviews and online questionnaires, it offers insight on the personal and professional characteristics and practices of foreign journalists covering Turkey. The findings suggest that correspondents “feel responsible” for explaining the complexities in Turkey for their audiences, highlighting the dilemmas between the “desk” and the “field”. They also indicate that Istanbul as an emerging global city does in its own right attracts new media connections.

References

  • AIM Research Consortium (2007), Reporting and Managing European News, Final Report of the Project, “Adequate Information Management in Europe” 2004-2007. Bochum, Germany: projektverlag
  • BEK Gencel Mine (2011), “Turkish and International Journalists Comparing the Media Systems, Journalistic Practices and News Production Process”, Media Research, 17 (1-2): 177-197
  • BOYD-BARRET Oliver, RANTANEN Terhi (eds.) (1998), “The Globalization of News”, O. Boyd-Barret and T. Rantanen (Eds), The Globalization of News, London, Sage
  • HACHTEN A. William, SCOTTON F. James (2007), The World News Prism: Global Information in a Satellite Age, Oxford, Blackwell Publishing
  • HAHN Oliver, LÖNNENDONKER Julia (2009), “Transatlantic Foreign Reporting and Foreign Correspondents After 9/11 Trends in Reporting Europe in the United States”, International Journal of Press/Politics, 14 (4): 497-515
  • HAMILTON M. John and JENNER Eric (2004), “Redefining Foreign Correspondence”, Journalism, 5 (3): 301-321
  • HELD David et al. (1999), Global Tranformations Politics, Economics and Culture, Oxford, Polity
  • HESMONDALGH David (2006), Media Production, Maidenhead and New York, Open University Press
  • HESS Stephen (1996), International news & foreign correspondents. Washington, D.C., Brookings Institution.
  • KESTER Bernadette (2010), “The art of Balancing: Foreign correspondents in non-democratic countries: The Russian case”, International Communication Gazette: Special Issue on Transparency in Foreign Reporting, 72 (1): 51-69
  • LIVINGSTONE Steven and ASMOLOV Gregory (2010), “Networks and the Future of Foreign Affairs”, Journalism Studies, 11(5) : 745 - 760
  • MCPHAIL L. Thomas (2005), Global Communication Theories, Stakeholders, and Trends, Oxford, John Wiley & Sons
  • PATERSON Chris, SREBERNY Annabelle (eds.) (2004), International News in the 21st Century, Eastleigh, University of Luton Press
  • SAKR Naomi (2010), “News, Transparency and the Effectiveness of Reporting From Inside Arab Dictatorships”, International Communication Gazette: Special Issue on Transparency in Foreign Reporting, 72 (1): 33-50
  • TOPUZ Hıfzı (2003), Türk Basın Tarihi: II. Mahmut’tan Holdinglere, İstanbul, Remzi Kitabevi
  • WILNAT Lars, WEAVER David (2003), “Through their eyes: The work of foreign correspondents in the United States”, Journalism, 4 (4) : 403-422
  • WILLIAMS Kevin (2011), International Journalism, London, Sage
  • VRAGAS Lucas, PAULIN Lisa (2007), “Rethinking ‘Foreign News’ from a transnational perspective”, in David Perlmutter and John Maxwell Hamilton (eds.), From Pigeons to News Portals: Foreign Reporting and the Challenge of New Technology, Baton Rouge, Louisiana University Press: 20-25
  • YANARDAĞOĞLU Eylem, TILIÇ L. Doğan (forthcoming), “Foreign Correspondents in Turkey: Between the home and host agendas”, in George Terzis (ed.), Mapping Foreign Correspondence in Europe, London, Routledge
  • YEMMA, John (2007), “Instant Connection-Foreign news comes from the Cold”, in David Perlmutter and John Maxwell Hamilton (eds), From Pigeons to News Portals: Foreign Reporting and the Challenge of New Technology, Baton Rouge, Louisiana University Press: 110-122.
There are 20 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Yrd. Doç. Dr. Eylem Yanardağoğlu

Publication Date October 24, 2014
Published in Issue Year 2014Issue: 20

Cite

APA Yanardağoğlu, Y. D. D. E. (2014). Covering Turkey: The Dilemmas of Foreign Correspondents between the Desk and the Field. Galatasaray Üniversitesi İletişim Dergisi(20), 99-116. https://doi.org/10.16878/gsuilet.64673

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