As the crackdown on independent media outlets in Turkey continues with increasing censorship and fines to stifle critical media’s economic sustainability, the International Press Institute (IPI) is featuring BirGün newspaper’s subscription campaign in 2021. We’re highlighting the newspaper’s efforts to increase reader engagement as part of a sustainable audience-based business model.
BirGün, established in 2004 with the support of 3,000 volunteer donors, is one of the few remaining independent newspapers in Turkey, providing readers with critical and objective news content. Like other independent media in Turkey, BirGün regularly faces official harassment and sanctions.
The paper also increasingly provides English news content on political and social developments in Turkey as part of its efforts to attract more readers and maintain financial independence.
BirGün launched its newest subscription campaign in March 2021 with the motto of “if you do not want to read only such headlines one day, subscribe to BirGün today”. The campaign caught the attention of the wider public with ironic headlines pointing out the pro-government media monopoly. An estimated 90 percent of Turkey’s mainstream media is under direct or indirect government influence.
Listen to IPI podcasts on BirGün’s latest subscription campaign:
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT BİRGÜN:
Readers from around the World can support BirGün and independent media in Turkey by subscribing to BirGün. An act of solidarity that will support Turkey’s courageous independent journalists.
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IPI’s #ISubsribe Campaign, launched in 2018, has previously featured Cumhuriyet, Evrensel and BirGün newspapers to support Turkey’s last remaining independent media outlets in the face of extreme financial and legal challenges by the authorities. It aims to promote global solidarity with the newspapers.
You can see the details of the campaign and choose BirGün to support by subscription.
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