RTÜK President Şahin Updates Parliament’s Gender Equality Commission
Radyo ve Televizyon Üst Kurulu (RTÜK) President Ebubekir Şahin briefed the Gender Equality Commission of Parliament on the efforts undertaken to prevent the widespread and normalization of violence against women through media channels.
During the meeting chaired by AK Party Sakarya MP Çiğdem Erdoğan, Şahin informed the commission about RTÜK’s initiatives. He emphasized the comprehensive strategic steps taken by RTÜK to ensure gender equality between men and women, highlighting the importance of the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan in promoting equal opportunities.
Şahin stressed the strategic plan’s focus on safeguarding the rights and interests of media stakeholders, particularly in promoting gender equality and combating content that negatively affects women’s societal status.
“We aim to create a comprehensive policy framework that promotes a conscious and positive approach towards women in the media,” Şahin stated.
Emphasizing Ethical Guidelines for Media Representation
RTÜK President Şahin highlighted the importance of ethical guidelines in media representation, particularly when addressing issues of violence against women. He mentioned that RTÜK has established principles to guide ethical reporting, emphasizing the need to avoid content that normalizes or justifies violence against women.
“We have created guidelines that aim to raise awareness and combat societal perceptions of violence against women,” Şahin explained.
Additionally, Şahin shared that RTÜK has implemented various projects to enhance women’s representation in the media and raise awareness of women’s rights through campaigns.
Empowering Women through Media Regulation
Addressing the commission, Şahin discussed the role of daytime programming in reaching a wide audience and highlighted RTÜK’s efforts to ensure ethical standards in such programs. He emphasized that ethical principles have been established to guide broadcasters in producing content that does not promote or normalize violence against women.
“We are committed to ensuring that content featuring violence against women is not aired, and that efforts to normalize violence are not tolerated,” Şahin stated.
Furthermore, Şahin provided insights into RTÜK’s initiatives to facilitate access to broadcast services for individuals with disabilities through regulations promoting sign language, audio descriptions, and subtitles.
In conclusion, Şahin reiterated RTÜK’s commitment to combating violence against women through preventive, regulatory, and supervisory measures. He emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts with relevant institutions to achieve strategic goals in addressing gender-based violence.
Following Şahin’s remarks, RTÜK Member Deniz Güçer presented examples of positive and negative portrayals of violence in media coverage, highlighting the need for responsible reporting.
Commission Chair Erdoğan informed the commission of upcoming visits to the Security and Emergency Situations Coordination Center (GAMER) and reiterated the importance of media collaboration with RTÜK in addressing societal issues.
The Gender Equality Commission’s engagement with RTÜK and other stakeholders underscores the collective commitment to promoting gender equality and combating violence against women in the media.
