Basın-Sen: Displaying Violence Is Not Journalism

In a written statement, Basın-Sen said it was concerned by the circulation of videos and photographs showing blood, serious injuries and graphic violence across numerous news websites.

"Displaying violence is not journalism," the union said.

Basın-Sen stressed that while reporting the incident falls within the public's right to be informed, journalism also requires respect for human dignity, privacy and the potential harm that published material may cause.

"Reporting the incident is, of course, part of the public's right to know. However, the right to report the news is not the right to display violence in its rawest form," the statement said.

The union noted that, despite attempts to blur parts of the footage, the effects of the violence, including blood and serious injuries, remained clearly visible. It accused some media organisations of prioritising clicks, views and ratings over their responsibility to inform the public.

"Turning human suffering into viewing figures cannot be justified by either press freedom or the public interest. Publishing graphic images of an injured person is not a journalistic achievement," it said.

Basın-Sen also warned that such images could have harmful psychological effects, particularly on children, young people and individuals vulnerable to trauma.

"The role of the media is not to traumatise society, reproduce scenes of horror or turn violence into a visual spectacle," the statement added.

Basın-Sen urged all media organisations that published graphic videos and images of the incident to remove the content, stressing that there is "a clear line between the public's right to know and the display of violence," and that crossing this line constitutes a breach of journalistic responsibility.