Reader comments on internet and democracy: a research on readers comments in news websites during 2007 elections

The study aims to analyse whether the internet contributes on the democratic process by means of forming a public field today when the internet is getting more common and increasing its effect. The study reflects a dimension of the process of public making its voice be heard over the internet becoming more common each day. In the study, the limits of the public participation through internet and the comment pages of newspapers making internet journalism are introduced by debates. The ideas of the citizens having not adequate place on the conventional media directs the citizens to the internet and the citizens can have voice over the internet. This participation of the citizens over the internet affects the broadcasting policies of the newspapers.In the study, the comments made about the news on the internet sites of the Milliyet and Zaman newspapers, which are the oldest examples of internet journalism. In the process of Presidential Elections and MP General Elections which had been on the agenda of Turkey in the year 2007 at most, the news on the internet sites of Milliyet and Zaman newspapers were examined by qualitative analysis method. The themes coming out from these comments are discussed in the study. The effects of the comments put on the sites of the newspapers on the policy of newspaper are examined. In the study, both the analysis of the comments made over internet and the future anxiety of the citizens are tried to be reflected. The analysis of the debates appearing due to this anxiety is made categorically and thematically.The study is composed of 2 sections. In the first section of the study, the subject matters of the liberal and critical approaches brought about for the communication technologies, public field, public field and democracy, the democratic potential and criticism of the internet and public participation to the internet were discussed. This section forms the theoretical basis of the study. The second section covers the analysis of the news about the Presidential Elections and MP General Elections of the year 2007 on the internet sites of Milliyet and Zaman newspapers that is subject matter of the research.