Türkiye'de Bağımsız Haber Dergiciliğinin Ekonomik Sorunları: Nokta Dergisi Örneği

Abstract

Time magazine was established in 1923, basically to fulfill the need of obtaining information as quick as possible. In many aspects, this was a period marked with the notion of speed, as the necessity of demanding 'fast' information was synchronic with the social tempo itself. In this period, Time set a model for news magazines in all over the world. Being inspired by this trend, Akis was established in 1954 as the first news magazine in Turkey. Until 1980, news magazine publishers, which were small/medium sized enterprises, were dominant in the sector. Starting from the 80's, the global neoliberal economic flow strongly influenced the Turkish Press, and resulted in a change in the ownership structure in the media: Media groups who have grown with horizontal and vertical mergers remained in possession of the sector. This research's aim is to argue and detect the economic problems which include the market structure, distribution and marketing, human resources, advertising, and restraint of circulation of independent news magazine who provide pluralism in newsmagazine sector. The last period of Nokta (November 2006 - April 2007), an independent newsmagazine which is no longer published by its owner for economic and politic reasons, is analyzed. Case study method is used in conjunction with semi-structured interviews. This article reveals that, in Turkey, ownership is seen equivalent to obtaining political power instead of commercial motive. In addition, it is observed that if an independent newsmagazine is supported financially and is provided with the editorial independence, it can break up the univocal structure which grows out of monopolistic market and can create its own reader.