This is my moto when it comes to local news. I have found that I am best off not reading the news as it either upsets or aggravates me, or bewilders me to no end.
If it's not Ergenekon, it's Erdoğan. If it's not human rights, it's honor killings. It's so tiring. Why can't there be at least one good news story of the day like the birth of a baby elephant in captivity or the like. It's all bad. Bad, bad, bad.
I really cannot recall a time when I read a light hearted non-political article in the news here. I can't understand how people can cope with this kind of news day in day out. It is depressing. People are gripped each day by what the press has to say and they are glued to newspapers, TV, internet news and current affairs in the evening streaming the "son dakika" last minute news of the second.
If it's not Ergenekon, it's Erdoğan. If it's not human rights, it's honor killings. It's so tiring. Why can't there be at least one good news story of the day like the birth of a baby elephant in captivity or the like. It's all bad. Bad, bad, bad.
I really cannot recall a time when I read a light hearted non-political article in the news here. I can't understand how people can cope with this kind of news day in day out. It is depressing. People are gripped each day by what the press has to say and they are glued to newspapers, TV, internet news and current affairs in the evening streaming the "son dakika" last minute news of the second.
So, for me, I'll stick with my news from Australia where I can at least read restaurant and movie reviews, stories about health, well being and epicure while living in ignorant bliss of all things newsworthy in Turkey.
5 comments:
I know exactly what you mean. I try not to look at Turkish news these days. Although, news from the UK isn't much better.
You are right Ayak, the news from home isn't always great either, but I can always find at least one light hearted news story to make me smile. Ho hum.
By and large, Turkish news is a sad joke. Silly and shallow and constantly promoting its channel's programming (as news)this is really the best it will ever be. Most of the so-called serious news stories are really not what they seem to be- many obvious instances of "staging."
I find it more amusing than anything else. The use of dramatic background music or "sensitive" violins for sad stories. On-site reporters who sound all panicky about a cat trapped in a well. Despite all that mind-numbing non-news reporting, it is a wise idea to keep your ear to the ground as much as you can because you can never know what might later turn out to be useful information.
What about hours and hours of Sunday gossip programs with that simpering goofy-grinning announcer who likes to walk slowly back and forth like a slow-motion target at a shooting gallery. Drives me up the wall but my Turkish friend can sit and watch until late afternoon!
I recall one story years ago. Quite shocking. About a woman in Adana or in that region- I think it was- and she was forced to give birth in front of the hospital emergency room doors because all of the staff and locked the doors and decided to take a snooze. You can see her screaming and absolutely not a peep from inside the windows of the hospital. And yet....
this being the days before "telephones as cameras" it begs the question. How did this event actually occur? How did the camera crew just happen to be there when the woman was about to give birth? How would they know in advance that this situation- locked doors- would occur? I never could make sense of it but something smelled a tad rotten.
My theory is that the media is run by the older generation that was around for the coups in the 60s and 80s. In those days, everything really was a Crisis! so people stayed glued to the press, since it contained news that directly affected their lives.
Now they just use good old American fear-mongering and yellow journalism to sell the news.
In America during the presidential campaign, there was a lot in the press about Obama being black, and what a great moment this was for Civil Rights. Not that it wasn't a great moment, but it was a way greater moment in the eyes of the children of the 60s (who run the media) than it was for younger people who increasingly see race as less relevant to the Big Picture.
I don't know enough young people here to know if they have the same terrors at every political turning as the older folks do. And the oldest folks start lining up for bread at those Halk Ekmek places as soon as even a small snowstorm is predicted!
At some point, people are going to figure out every political and economic Crisis! doesn't lead to any immediate changes in daily life, which kind of makes it not a Crisis! in my book.
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