Exploring Gender and Homicide: Insights from Turkish Media Professionals of Generations X, Y, and Z

• Published in: Revista Română de comunicare şi relaţii publice Vol. 26; no. 1; pp. 7 - 24
• Main Authors: Gürkan, Hasan, Echazarreta-Soler, Carmen, Sarpkaya, Özlem, Sayıklı, Esen Deniz, Özbıyık, Sena Şevval, Özgör, Derya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), College of Communication and Public Relations, Bucharest 25.09.2024
• Subjects: femicide; gender; homicide; journalist; murder; Turkey
• ISSN: 1454-8100; 2344-5440
• DOI: 10.21018/rjcpr.2024.1.535

This study examines how media professionals interpret homicides committed in Turkey and depict murder suspects. The article aims to analyse how journalists from different generations respond to, negotiate and resist the editorial ideology that frames gender-based violence from an anti-feminist perspective. The study includes in-depth interviews with nine media professionals from X, Y, and Z generations and forms conclusions about the helplessness of women, the necessity of murder, involving the female suspect. The study reveals that media professionals reproduce gender roles by employing masculine language, and their commitment to “so-called” objective journalism restricts the critical examination and analysis of facts from a feminist perspective. The study demonstrates that journalists, whether consciously or unconsciously, contribute to the dissemination of manipulated messages by reproducing them without conducting thorough analysis. The perspectives of Gen X, Y, and Z Turkish media professionals on gender and murder provide valuable insights into evolving societal attitudes and media representation. It is crucial for journalists and media professionals to critically analyse their biases and strive for fair, inclusive, and responsible reporting that promotes gender equality and challenges harmful stereotypes.