Co-authored by the Instructor Tijen Zeybek and Asst. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Gözde Koyuncu from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences of Near East University, the article on "The Perception of Self-Censorship in Turkish Cypriot Journalists" was published in the International Journal of Organizational Leadership.
According to the press release issued by the Directorate of Press and Public Relations Office of Near East University, Instructor Tijen Zeybek and Asst. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Gözde Koyuncu from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences conducted a research study in order to uncover the facts regarding the self-censorship in Turkish Cypriot press members. The study that designed on deep interview method lasted a year. 5 journalists working in public sector and 5 journalists working in private sector were selected as sample group for interviews. The article, which presents data obtained from the study, was published in the International Journal of Organizational Leadership under the title "The perception of journalism and self-censorship in press members: Turkish Cypriot Journalists Model”.
In her remarks, faculty member Tijen Zeybek highlights that freedom of expression and independence of media is crucial to the practice of journalism. "The study aims to uncover the facts regarding the new forms of censorship and repression, self-censorship, surveillance, monitoring and control, propaganda – disinformation and bias in Turkish Cypriot journalism. People who exercise their right to freedom of expression through journalism must be allowed to practice their work without restrictions. This is the responsibility of the state, courts, media companies and journalist organizations, but also of NGOs and civil society. I hope the results of this study, which is the first scientific study on this issue in our country, will provide contribution to further scientific studies aiming at improving freedom of expression through the assessments of media organizations and press members".
The Results of the Research Study are closely concerned the Turkish Cypriot Press Community...
Underlining that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and a prerequisite for other democratic rights including freedom of obtainment of information via media in an open, transparent and accurate manner, faculty member Tijen Zeybek highlights that every voter in democratic regimes has the right to obtain true, objective and impartial information through media about the actions, practices and activities carried out by the elected government. “The presence of pluralism and independence of the media are essential to democratic rule. However, in the era of globalization and digitization, this has become almost impossible as news, journalism and media have become dependent on the policies of the media owners having multi-employee business required gigantic investments. Such a media structure brings bias in news, particularly in news supporting the ones in power. Moreover, media with its present situation has evolved into a position that serves as the contrary of the naive expectation of being the lifeline of the freedom of expression by transforming itself into a means of coming into power and then remaining in power.
Despite the Press Freedom Act, Self-Censorship due to Fear, Deference, the Sensibilities or Preferences of Others and Overt Pressure Make the Protection of Journalists Ineffective
Although various laws and the Constitution of TRNC clearly underline that press is free and that it is not a crime to explain ideas, the results of the study show that the fear of experiencing personal problems or opposing to the publishing policy of the newspaper makes this legal protection ineffective. Based on the data obtained from the interviews, the study concludes that Turkish Cypriot press members have internalized the self-censorship and become self-censorship practitioners without the need for a direct overt pressure from any specific party or institution of authority. In other words, censor turns into self-censorship in the process.