EYLEM SONBAHAR*
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) and Amnesty International held their joint panel on “Journalism and Press Freedom in the Disaster Area” under the moderation of Amnesty International Media Coordinator Fatma Yörür at Postane Galata in Istanbul. 
This year, MLSA and Amnesty International for the second time jointly held a World Press Freedom Day Panel, which was moderated by Amnesty International Media Coordinator Fatma Yörür. Journalists Neyran Elden, Kazım Kızıl, Osman Terkan and Burcu Özkaya Günaydın attended the panel as speakers. MLSA Co-Director Veysel Ok launched the panel with an opening speech. Highlighting the current period as a critical time, he said, “After the earthquake, we saw journalists being in the field before institutions. If they had not been there, maybe more people would have lost their lives. In this earthquake, we witnessed how important journalism is not only in terms of freedom of expression but for human life. We learned from journalists about areas that the state did not reach. Fortunately, there are independent journalists.” In the joint panel of MLSA and Amnesty International marking World Press Freedom Day on May 3, Ok also reminded of imprisoned journalists. Sending greetings to the journalists who were detained and arrested in operations centered on Diyarbakır and Ankara, Ok drew attention to the fact that Kurdish journalists are at the focus of those operations. “MLSA’s list of imprisoned journalists and media employees currently counts 66 people. More than 30 journalists on that list have been arrested in the last 10 months. We are sending them our greetings from here, we are telling them that we will struggle for them.” Touching upon the election period, Ok stated that MLSA will continue to support the safety of journalists in all areas during the elections. 
‘If we want local journalism to be stronger, it is imperative to solve the problems’
Stating that journalists were the first to go to the disaster area, Amnesty International Media Coordinator Fatma Yörür said, “During this period in Turkey, civil society and journalists passed the test best. Mobilising all their means, they made the voice of the earthquake region be heard in the world.” Yörür then passed the word to local journalist Burcu Özkaya Günaydın, who joined the panel as a speaker online and told the audience about what she went through during and after the earthquake. Günaydın started her speech by noting, “I have experienced this period first-hand both as a journalist and an earthquake survivor.” Explaining that she works as a freelancer and has been in touch with the institutions that she reports for, Günaydın added, “I have sent many Tweets to get help here. Within this chaos, I approached the situation with the reflex of a journalist. Through solidarity support, I moved to a container. From here, I continued to work, motivated by the production of news.” Günaydın continued by explaining, “There are many local media outlets whose buildings were destroyed. The employees left town. They are awaiting support from international press organizations. 26 of our colleagues lost their lives; there are others who were injured, who lost their homes. They don’t want the profession to die. There is a need for large financing here. The conditions need to improve as soon as possible. If we want local journalism to be stronger, it is imperative to solve the problems.” 
‘People here are struggling for their lives and you are going to take pictures?’
Documentary producer and journalist Kazım Kızıl recounted that he set out when he learned about the earthquake and arrived in the earthquake zone on the second day. He described his experiences telling, “At the crossroads in Kırıkhan, we were obstructed by soldiers. They were not concerned with maintaining order, it was unclear what they were doing. We told them that we are journalists. They tried to target us by asking, ‘People here are struggling for their lives and you are going to take pictures?’ Afterwards, a few trucks started hitting our car.” Kızıl also observed that “Logistically and psychologically, we as journalists were not ready for such a big earthquake, I realized that.” NTV reporter Osman Terkan, however, said, “We, the reporters, have our bags ready at all times.” He added, “This disaster is not the first one we have seen, it has become a part of our daily lives. We describe it as a disaster but also as a catastrophe. We would not consider it as a disaster if precautions were taken. Even though it was a bad experience, we experienced it as journalists. And while the people were the subject of the news, there were colleagues who personalized and dramatized the situation. I want to note that I am critical of them.”
‘Instant sharing of information was very valuable for the people there’
Journalist Neyran Elden talked about her experiences saying, “When I was working for the international press, I noticed this: I did not encounter any public obstacles preventing me from reaching the area. Since I worked for the Chinese state television, I can say that I worked comfortably. I’ve seen people who were happy when they saw an aid worker as well as people who were happy when they saw a journalist. Sharing information instantly was the most valuable thing we could provide to the people there.” Following a Q&A session, the panel ended with a 3 May World Press Freedom Day reception. You can watch the full panel on MLSA TV.
