Exploring Gender and Homicide: Insights from Turkish Media Professionals of Generations X, Y, and Z

This study examines how media professionals interpret homicides committed in Turkey and depict murder suspects. The article aims to analyze how journalists from different generations respond to, ne-gotiate, resist, and reinforce the editorial ideology that frames gender-based violence from an anti-fem-inist perspective. The study includes in-depth interviews with nine media professionals from X, Y, and Z generations and forms conclusions about the helplessness of women, the necessity of murder, in-volving the female suspect. The research findings demonstrate that media practitioners perpetuate traditional gender norms by using language that reflects masculine traits. Furthermore, their adherence to the principle of “so-called” objective journalism hinders the thorough examination and analysis of facts through a feminist lens. The study demonstrates that journalists, whether consciously or unconscious-ly, contribute to the dissemination of stereotyped perceptions of the gender messages by reproducing them without conducting thorough analysis. The perspectives of Gen X, Y, and Z Turkish media professionals on gender and murder provide valuable insights into evolving societal attitudes and media representation. It is crucial for journalists and media professionals to critically analyze their biases and strive for fair, inclusive, and responsible reporting that promotes gender equality and challenges harm-ful stereotypes.