Media capture is a systemic governance problem where political leaders and media owners work together in a symbiotic but mutually corrupting relationship: Media owners provide supportive news coverage to political leaders in exchange for favorable government treatment of their business and political interests. The favors may include increased government advertising or other financial benefits to the media industry itself. Media capture is a means by which public opinion is manipulated, vested interests are preserved, and political control is consolidated by a small elite.

In this report, journalist and one of the founders of P24, a non-profit organization whose mission is to support independent media in Turkey, Andrew Finkel looks at Turkey through this lens. This highly personal essay by a British-educated journalist and longtime resident of the country includes a thoughtful review of the capture concept and its origins. He looks at the history of media capture in the Turkish context. Finally he proposes some thoughts on how the media development community might respond—or at least think about this problem going forward.

The report is published by Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA). Full version available here.