Media Education in Turkey: Toward a Multi-Stakeholder Framework

Starting with the 1990s, private radios and televisions were the primary steps in Turkish media's new structure. At that time, there was no interest in media literacy or media education for people, especially for children. In the past, the emphasis of media literacy education was to protect children and young people from possible harmful effects of media, followed by the critical thinking and development of media messages production skills. This contribution emphasizes the political, social, and economic implications of media messages and stresses the importance of using media effectively. Media literacy and education in Turkey has started with an agreement between the Ministry of National Education and The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) in 2006/07 school period. This study uses a critical approach to reflect on what has been done so far in Turkey in terms of media literacy and media education, and what needs to be accomplished in the future.