Media Literacy Education in Turkey: An Evaluation of Media Processes and Ethical Codes

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate school principals', teachers', parents', and students' opinions, arising from participation in a pilot program which used a media literacy curriculum in Turkey. The research population covers all seventh grade students who attended the media literacy, course during the 2006-2007 academic year, in five pilot cities and their teachers, principals, and families. A semi-structured one-on-one interview technique was used to collect data. In order to determine students' opinions regarding media's conformance to ethical codes, five ethical codes were determined and the "Basic Ethical Codes for Media to Follow Scale" was developed. The study results clearly show that principals, teachers, and parents have serious concerns with the content and quality of national publishing and broadcasting. Participants' critiques generally concentrate on media's corrupting social values for the sake of ratings and circulation, and they violate individuals' rights and exaggerate in publishing and broadcasting. Students, especially from four of the pilot program cities, state that media has problems concerning processes and ethical codes, and it conforms to ethical codes sometimes or hardly-ever. The study results show that students' opinions regarding media's objectiveness, respect for individual rights, honesty, congruence for responsible broadcasting, and strengthening social values in publishing and broadcasting coincide with those of the principals, teachers, and parents.