Social movements and media: Example of Gezi Park and Yellow Vests

Social movements are a manifestation of the dissatisfaction and requests of the society and the demands for meeting them. The history of this form of expression dates back to very old times. Social movements, which have been seen since ancient times, have sometimes turned into conflicts, riots, and civil wars, and have had serious effects on society. Today, with the development of technology and increasing communication facilities, the importance and interest of social movements are increasing. Social movements can be seen all over the world and are shaped by changes in the world conditions and therefore the social structures. Especially the 1960s was an important period for adding new ones to the basic features of social movements and changing some of them. Since every society has different dynamics, it is not possible to examine each movement in a single category. In the 21st century, although it is easier for individuals to make their voices heard thanks to technology and social media, most societies continue their social actions by using these advantages. The Gezi Park movements in 2013 and the Yellow Vests in 2018 took place in this way. In two movements that started with different demands, with the help of social media in a short time, it got the support of many people and was followed by other countries. While the actions of the Yellow Vests have been going on for more than a year, Gezi Park protests lasted approximately three weeks. Two social movements contain a lot of opposite discourses. The words used to reflect these discourses to the reader or the audience, the selected images, the words used in the title are not chosen randomly. Accordingly, the news on Les Echos, RFI, and Le Monde Diplomatique news sites related to the Gezi Park and the Yellow Vest movements have been analyzed with critical discourse analysis method. With critical discourse analysis, the discourse is examined in more detail and the deep meaning under it is examined. In utilizing this analysis method, it has been targeted to see and interpret the difference how the Gezi Park movements in Turkey were evaluated at the French press while they experienced a similar movement in France recently.