As Bek has researched on some of the Turkish television channels, I make observations and I reach the same conclusion with Bek. Serious channels are NTV and CNNTURK, tabloid like channels are the others which Bek has worked on. First of all, I want to enlighten a point that NTV and CNNTURK are not totally serious on news as any channels in the world. They also tend to tabloid type in small amount. However they are the ones which stay furthest away from tabloidization. To exemplify, at the beginning of each hour, current and upcoming events are declared in the news bulletin. On the other hand, SHOWTV and STARTV are more near to tabloid type. Bek’s conclusion is true for those, because when I take a look at the news bulletin on SHOWTV and STARTV, most of the news are private lives of celebrities, gossips about them. There are some politic news such as the private life of a politician, not the things he or she does for Turkey’s policy. Another channel is KANAL D which stands between the tabloid type and the serious type. For example, at the beginning of the news bulletin, serious political ones are presented after that tabloid type news are declared. In short, Bek has made a valid and credible research on the Turkish channels.
Salman Rushdie criticizes television by touching the reality TV issue in the text that he has written. It is stated that television is out of its mission nowadays, because its aim should be a window which enlarge audience’s perspective. However, today television is a mirror of the community because of media patrons’ beneficial purposes. Television should illume people but it just shows the thing which are already known. It should inform people and by this way it should increase the awareness of the society. Window is a term which symbolizes an augment in culture and knowledge on the other hand, mirror is a term which a narrow perspective to the world. And mirror reflects nothing more than your appearance which can not develop your knowledge and conscience. Reality TV is the most obvious example for the TV programs which reflect the lives of the people. For example, individuals find something such as love, business problems, and family relations from themselves in the Truman Show. Media shapes the programs that we watch and creates a fake reality. This fake reality misinforms and misleads the community. Engineered reality is presented to the people. Reality TV can be counted as the most obvious example of the engineered reality. Engineered reality forms a mirror to the people which prevent them to go further.
To begin with, the text “Murrow’s Speech to Radio-Television News” is basically talks about the manipulation of the media. Media organs are owned by the powerful and wealthy men who manage the world around them in the way they want. Referring to the film “Insider”, the puissant owners command the workers or the media employee parallel to their own benefits. As the Murrow states that media should illuminate people but not manipulate. The truth is that if the hidden truth comes out, their reputation or their profits and plans will damage. For the sake of money and power, the community is misinformed and mislead. As a matter of fact, individuals can not reach a true and valid conclusion because of the media’s deception. I think that every individual has a right to know about everything which includes the current events. So that society should do something to stop them not to mislead people. On the other hand, if this monopoly of the media owners continues, they will continue to direct community in the way they want or in the path which is beneficial for them. To exemplify, the number of the killed Turkish soldiers are not declared, only the killed pkk terrorists are told. This is because not to show the real scenario which is more Turkish soldiers are killed than the pkk terrorists. By this way, the government does not receive any reclamation because of this guideline. In short, somebody should say stop to this manipulation and provide just the illumination of the people.
After having read the article, “Plug In Drug” which is written by Marie Winn, I see no point in not to agree with Winn. The crucial point is that television was brought with the aim of strengthening the family bonds however the plan is not successful as the society hoped. As the technology developed, the number and the quality of television in terms of vision and audio augmented. As a matter of fact, there are 3-4 televisions in most of the houses nowadays. I know some families which have television even in the bathroom. It is the same in my family, but I do not know now because I am away from home (but I do not think that this would change). We have three televisions in our apartment. One is in the salon, the other one is in the kitchen and the last one is in my bedroom. In previous years, I came home and ate something then I usually went to my room and watch the programs on TV. My mother used to stay in the kitchen for the aim of watching her favorite TV programs and my father sat in the salon and follow series or economy programs on TV. In short, television also damages our family relations as it does to the others. However, individuals know this truth and most of them do not show a reaction to that, including myself. As soon as possible we should do something against this threat which may demolish the sacred commitment “family”.
2 marks- 5. Behind the screens-giving specific examples of the films that you watch- How have films become commercialised and why does this matter?
Commercialism is included in various aspects of our daily lives. They are on the billboards, on the internet, on tv exc… To be more specific, many products such as tobacco, alcohol and car are shown in the films. Many commercialist purposes are obviously seen in some scenes of these films. Cigarette is the mainly used item in most of the films. The strong and charismatic characters such as heroes, mafia patrons or leaders hold cigarettes in their hands. They seem more mature to the people. Therefore the audience thinks that smoking provides them a popular and cool visual look. The audience admires actually their social position in the society and they believe that if they also start smoking they will become popular and cool as they are. In addition to that, including tobacco products very wisely creates an idea which is to smoke is a normal thing which should a part in the daily life. Most of the individuals begin smoking because of the mood of normality of smoking in the films. For example, there are more than 50 scenes in which the tobacco products appear in the film “Fight Club”. These kinds of films make the cigarette as a part of our daily lives. Without realizing, these people become the new customers of the tobacco companies by the help of commercialism in the films. Moreover, tobacco products are not the only things that are included in the movies in the purpose of commercialism. Surely, alcohol is as common in the films as cigarette is. To glamorous outlook of whisky in the trilogy of Godfather, affects people very deeply. Seeing Alpacino’s holding the whisky in his hand with a charismatic and cool style triggers people at least buy a bottle of whisky and try it. He symbolizes a man who is able to rule many people and who has the power to kill anyone he wants besides these he drinks alcohol. Most of the viewers think that he drinks whiskey and he is very much powerful in the society therefore if they drink the same thing they will become a ruler and have that much power as he does have. Furthermore, people see the life full of luxury in the films and they admire that way of living. Fast and beautiful cars are just one item of this luxury. In the film “Batman”, his car is very fast, unbreakable and it throws missiles. It seems that this indispensable car makes him unbeatable and powerful in front of his enemies. the individual who sees this movie, start to think that he or she should have that kind of a car to be more mature, cool and strong as he is. To sum up, commercialism in the films causes a desire of the people to these products. The companies have a common goal which is to augment the number of their consumers and enlarge the area that they appeal. However this causes people to start smoke or alcohol even though they become addicted to alcohol or tobacco products. Another perspective is that they may become depressed because they can not afford luxury products that they have seen in the films which they desire very much. In short, some products are used in the films to make society consume them more and more.
2 marks- 6. Compare different Turkish media outlets– who is the owner- is the ideology of the owner reflected in the content?
Media is one of the most effective things to reflect and broadcast an idea or slogan to the society. In Turkey, media organs shape people’s lifestyle and perspective. There are various kinds of media organs. Each of them has a different message to their audiences. There are two of them which are the most obvious and contrast ones in Turkey. One side supports the religious view and the other one is the republician view. Channel 7 is the channel and Zaman is the newspaper of this religious side. Their owner is the same person, Zait Akman. They always evaluate the events from a single point of view which is obviously based on religion and Kor’an. For example, I have watched a cartoon called “The Smurfs” on Channel 7, I have witnessed the biased perspective. To examplify, some of the characters in the cartoon ask for to do enchantment and one of them tells them that it is a sin to make magic. Actually the original one is not like this. They just use the magic to save their friends, however the cartoon has been changed. The purpose behind this is to give a message to the audience about the obeying to the religious beliefs. In other words, they just want to give the message of going out of the borders of the religion is not a pleasant thing. Besides this, the movies and series that is shown on that channel are strongly based on religion. They just want to lead people through the religion and its orders. The ruler government is a religious party,”AKP”, therefore the newspaper always supports Akp. It is written and commented on good and pleasant things that they have done or they strongly spend an effort on. The aim is to show that Akp is right on the situations especially where society has reclaimations. On the other hand, the owner of the “Cumhuriyet” which is the newspaper of republican side, is Ilhan Selcuk. Actually he represents a group of people who owns this newspaper, he manages the writers. The news and the idea of these writers are against the government. They comment on everything against what the Akp government does. To examplify, even in the sport news, a sport event is linked to Akp in order to blame them and to create an unpleasant picture for the community. To sum up, media organs have some goals and they advance through the future in the wind of their purposes.
To begin with tabloidization and infotainment have brought fresh faces to the media. In my opinion they are not dangerous or against democracy as the experts state. They are the inventions of the modernization. I believe in that there should be more option to choose for a more democratic system. And tabloidization is one of the big supporters of this democratic system. There should be serious political, serious news channels but besides those, tabloid types of programs are needed. Another perspective to look from is that people watch the celebrities, their luxurious life style and their enormous wealth exc. There are both advantages and disadvantages of this. An individual see the beautiful things that the celebrities consume, and he/she desires to consume them too. So that he/she start to work hard in order to afford them. On the other hand, this luxurious life style triggers a rebel which may cause a tending towards communism. As I stated before, there both positive and negatives sides of this, but the crucial point is that there will be no gain without taking any risks.
Having analyzed the text “The Enormous Radio”, the mass media has a huge effect on the society. Wescott family is an example of the society itself actually. Irene Wescott can not stop herself from witnessing this reality show on the radio. Additionally to that, radio is a symbol of a mirror which actually reflects their own life that they do not want to accept. They eavesdrop others’ fights, sex lives, arguments, dialogues and talk about these as if they are very peculiar to them. Actually, they pretend that their family life is so perfect that they do not argue or feel sorrow once. In fact, the lack of communication provides a peaceful atmosphere in the family. Through the end of the story, they quarrel at the time they start to talk to each other. As a matter of fact, it is obviously seen that they as a family have big problems in themselves; however they can hide by not communicating with one another. Eavesdropping others’ lives becomes an addiction for Irene which shows the negative effect of the mass media over the society.
To begin with, I have watched a Turkish movie which is called “Babam Ve Oglum” in order to complete the second part of the blog process. The film based on a relation between a grandfather, a son and a grandson as it can easily be understood just looking at the title. The grandfather’s name is Huseyin and the son’s name is Sadık. They live in a village and their cultural values, traditions are obviously provincial and conservative. The main conflict appears when Sadık becomes a teenager and wants to go to Istanbul. His aim is to join political movements but he tells his parents as if he wants to go to a university. Somehow Huseyin learns his principal reason and changes his mind and decides not to allow his son to leave the house. A big fight occurs in the family because Sadık is determined to follow his ideals. He leaves the house and his mother tries to avert him to quit them. However Huseyin does not do anything against his departure, besides that he embarrasses his wife by saying “just let him go!” .15 years pass without any communication with his family, Sadık catches a serious illness and his wife dies. In order to protect his son, Deniz, he ventures to return his home with the purpose of leaving Deniz to them and go away quietly just to prevent his son to witness his death eventhough he does not talk once with his family. Before coming to the village, Sadık behaves mean to Deniz in order to make his son to hate himself. The idea is that if Deniz abominate him, when his father dies, it will not hurt him. This also makes Deniz very sad after all he is just a child at the age of six; however Sadık is not aware of that. The absence of their son and not to be able to receive information about him, ruin the family deeply. As they live in a village in Turkey, the leader of the family is the father. Huseyin is the authority in the house and he is furious to his son. He does not even say a word to Sadık when he returns with Deniz. And when Deniz calls him as his grandfather, he becomes angry to his grandson. In short this situation harms each member of the house when Sadık and for example his father enter the kitchen, intense atmosphere begins to appear. However when Sadık express his concern about his vital illness and his son, Huseyin starts to cry and hug his son; this is where the conflict of the film resolves. Another point to state is that family symbolizes something you can not give over. Strong connections of it emphasizes throughout the film. Family is the value that collects all of its members together no matter what their problems are.
