The Representation of Honor Killings in Turkish Media

• Published in: Folklor/edebiyat Vol. 28; no. 112; pp. 927 - 944
• Main Author: Adak, Nurşen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nicosia Uluslararası Kıbrıs Üniversitesi 2022; Cyprus International University; Uluslararas Kıbrıs Üniversitesi / Cyprus International University
• Subjects: Critical discourse analysis; Gender Studies; Gender-based violence; Honor killings; Human Rights and Humanitarian Law; Media studies; Murders & murder attempts; News media; Sexuality; Sociology of Law; Studies in violence and power; Victimology; Women; media; gender; Honor killing; violence
• ISSN: 1300-7491
• DOI: 10.22559/folklor.2203

Violence against women is one of the most common violation of human rights in the world. Women have been subjected to honor violence and they are still being subjected to such violence all around the world in different cultures. The killings in the name of honor are justified in a society when the rules of honor in control of men formed around women’s bodies and sexuality are disregarded by women. The study aims to understand whether the way of media’s treatment of femicide reinforce the honour perception or not. In other words, the purpose of the study is to examine if the media uses a patriarchal language, how it captures the victims and perpetrators, how it normalizes and justifies the violence while publishing the news about honor killing. The news about violence against women published in two of the national newspapers broadcasting daily between 2012-2014 have been examined within the scope of the study and the femicide news released as committed for the honor have been selected among the news. The selected news have been analyzed through critical discourse analysis. As the result of the analysis, it has been observed that the news about honor killing focus more on the popular aspect of the murder in a sensational manner. Such news use a patriarchal language, justify the violence based on the honor issues and emphasize that women are killed due to the lack of obedience to their husbands and staining the honor of their family.