Turkey: EU-backed project organises digital and trade-union workshops in Istanbul and Bursa
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Organized on 4 December in partnership with the Türkiye Gazeteciler Sendikası (TGS) and Evrensel newspaper, the first workshop focused on countering fake news and fact-checking techniques.
Training was delivered in the newsroom to 12 journalists by trainer Gülin Çavuş and Orhan Şener, director of the TGS Akademi. It examined various online fact-checking techniques including KnightLab, Juxtapose and Google location, and presented key approaches to fighting disinformation and spreading “real” news, using multimedia.
The TGS trainers are two of ten beneficiaries of a Training of Trainers (ToT) on digital journalism and story telling techniques, which the IFJ and TGS organised in Istanbul just a year ago. The programme produced five thematic training modules and aims to train 300 journalists across Turkey.
The second workshop was organized across the Marmara Sea, in Bursa in cooperation with Disk Basin-Is and theÇağdaş Gazeteciler Derneği (ÇGD) – Bursa. It brought together on 7 December some 20 journalists from various local media outlets, to discuss issues facing media workers and the professional, economic and political pressures on them.
Delivered by media lawyer Abbas Yalçın, the first session focused on journalists’ professional and trade-union rights, key provisions in the press and labour laws and how journalists can defend their rights in a sector in crisis and against unscrupulous media bosses.
The second session was given by Ali Ergin Demirhan, a Disk Basin-Is board member and trainer. It looked into the issues facing unionizing journalists with rapidly evolving jobs, the limits of traditional collective bargaining and innovative solutions to defending journalists’ trade-union rights.
“It is inspiring discussing with journalists who continue to stand for truth, freedom and dignity despite increasing economic and political pressures. We will continue to support their efforts to produce ethical and independent journalism and to organise collectively to fight back”, said Sarah Bouchetob, IFJ Senior projects and campaigns officer.