News frames of the Mahsa Amini protests in the Turkish press: An analysis within the context of framing theory

Daha sonra doldurulaThis research examines how the protests that emerged after the death of Mahsa Amini on September 14, 2022, following her detention by Iran's morality police, were represented in the Turkish press. The aim of the research is to reveal how national newspapers with different ideological positions framed these protests and which discursive strategies they employed. In this context, a total of 47 news articles published between September 14 and October 14, 2022, in Sözcü newspaper, Hürriyet newspaper, Yeni Akit newspaper, and Sabah newspaper were analyzed. The study adopts an integrated methodological framework combining framing theory and critical discourse analysis within a socio-cognitive approach. News articles were analyzed based on Semetko and Valkenburg's generic news frames and Iyengar's distinction between episodic and thematic framing. At the discourse level, actor representations, responsibility attributions, and legitimization strategies were examined. These discourse characteristics were categorized under four main themes: legitimacy of protest, state violence and responsibility, public order and security, and neutral event reporting. The findings reveal significant differences among newspapers. Sözcü newspaper predominantly framed the protests through a discourse that legitimized protesters and emphasized state violence. Hürriyet newspaper adopted a more balanced and relatively neutral reporting style. In contrast, Yeni Akit newspaper and Sabah newspaper largely framed the protests within a public order and security perspective, legitimizing state intervention. Overall, the study demonstrates that the representation of the Mahsa Amini protests in the Turkish press varies according to ideological positioning, indicating that news coverage is shaped not only by journalistic practices but also by ideological meaning-making processes. caktır.