Crowdfunding journalism as an alternative type of broadcasting: Examples in Turkey

Crowdfunding journalism, which has an important function in financing news production processes and restoring the understanding of public broadcasting, is positioned as an alternative to monopolized mainstream media organizations due to the its providing opportunities. This research aims to reveal whether crowdfunding journalism, which is one of the best ways for journalists to reach potential readers, creates an understanding of independent publishing in Turkey or not. In this context qualitative research methods were used in the research data were collected with in-depth interview technique and were analyzed with content analysis. In order to reveal the depth of the study and to analyze the data thoroughly, content analysis was used as a second method; in this direction, journalists' Twitter, YouTube and Patreon accounts were investigated according to comparative content analysis. After interviews with independent journalists and content analysis conducted on journalists' social media accounts, it was concluded that crowdfunding journalism creates an alternative publishing model in the face of mainstream media organizations. Crowdfunding journalism, which provides editorial independence to journalists at the point of freedem of thought, allows information to reach a wide audience and the formation of heteroglossia understanding of journalism. This type of journalism, which makes the reader a part of the news production process, also has some risks for independent journalists because it has a slippery floor. Reader-supported crowdfunding makes journalism a risky field because of some reasons such as continuous non-support of journalism is an expensive business, being decisive of political affiliation, and to become an echo chamber of live broadcasts, insufficient number of subscribers, digital violence suffered by women journalists. journalism makes a risky funding reads assisted digital workspace. Key Words: Alternative Media, Crowdfunding Journalism, Public Broadcasting.