Attitudes Towards Press in Today’s Turkey: How Death Thoughts and Political Tendencies Effect Support for Free Press and Free Speech
Abstract
Having inspired by “The
Mortality Muzzle: The effect of death thoughts on attitudes toward national
security and a watchdog press” article by Cuillier et al. (2010), the current
study aims to examine the effect of mortality salience and political tendencies
on attitudes of university students in Turkey towards free press and free
speech. Original study’s aim was to understand how Terror Management Theory’s
predictions effect people’s attitudes towards a watchdog press. This study,
aims to conduct a similar research in Turkey, understand how the stated factors
work in Turkish culture, and see how results differ. Study was conducted in
with a total of 110 university students (%61 female, %37 male, %2 unstated)
taking various undergraduate and MA courses from communication faculty of a
foundation university in Istanbul Turkey. Besides Terror Management Theory,
results are discussed according to Turkey’s specific conditions at the time
data was collected, and participants’ political tendencies. In addition, possible
reasons for the differences in results are specified.
Keywords
Terror Management Theory,press freedom,watchdog press,mortality salience
Kaynakça
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