Mainstream media’s coverage of the Gezi protests and protesters’ perception of mainstream media

Abstract

This article seeks to analyse how different sets of media covered the Gezi protests, whether the protest paradigm model varied according to the ideological leanings of newspapers, and whether social media created an alternative way for citizens to gather information while bypassing domestic news media. Furthermore, the study examines protesters’ perceptions of mainstream media coverage of the Gezi Park protests. It is important to understand how the exchange of information and idea flows in a polarized media environment and social media tools affected this process in Turkey.