The Consequences of Fear: How Media Literacy Teachers Adapt to Teaching in an Autocratic Regime

Authors

Sait Tuzel, Media Education Lab, Rhode Island, USA

Document Type

Research Article

Abstract

While media literacy education experienced significant growth in Turkey during the early part of the decade, since the attempted coup on July 15, 2016, Turkish educators have struggled with uncertainty and social mistrust generated by the disappearance of independent journalism and the arrests of many thousands of educators, judges, and researchers. This longitudinal study of media literacy teachers in Turkey examines the professional challenges that media literacy teachers experienced between 2015 and 2020 as they adapted to increased fear and the risks associated with teaching about media. Unable to use media materials beyond the state-sanctioned textbook, teachers now evaluate the credibility and quality of news media primarily on its proximity to government power. Because teachers are agents of the state, a new form of protectionism in media literacy education is being used to reinforce ideologies in the culture that maintain the political status quo.

Recommended Citation

Tuzel, S. (2025). The Consequences of Fear: How Media Literacy Teachers Adapt to Teaching in an Autocratic Regime. Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/jmle-preprints/46

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.