Representation of Women in News of the Turkish Cypriot Print Media

ABSTRACT: Power of media over the individuals and in general, in the construction of popular and mass culture cannot be underestimated. Within this perspective, media has crucial role in defining gendered power relations within a society. Approaches to the ‘Gender’ which is a socially constructed identity, can be shaped and reshaped by the media’s active role in the socialization process of any society. Thus answer of the question on how women are represented in the media is the main clue to understand the place of women in that society. In defining the relationship between media and women, both under-representation and stereotypical representation of women are the main pillars of Feminist media criticisms. This study deals with representation of women in Turkish Cypriot media. Study analyses the representation of women in four main Turkish Cypriot newspapers representing different political positions. In methodological terms critical discourse analysis is employed as an instrument to analyze the underlying contents and messages in the language of the newspapers. Throughout the dissertation, the study intends to answer the questions like; How Turkish Cypriot women are presented on Turkish Cypriot newspapers? Which women image they are trying to impose? Are Turkish Cypriot newspapers use masculine languages when producing news about women? Keywords: Representation of Women in Media, Turkish Cypriot Media, Critical Discourse Analysis, Gender and Identity. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………