Cem Dalaman has been the lead editor at RBB Radio Berlin Brandenburg, Germany, for the local evening news since 2008. In addition to this he is also the German correspondent for Voice of America (VoA), where he writes, edits, and produces stories for all digital platforms in Turkish language including background stories, interviews, and analytic reports. German-Turkish relations have always been one of his key interests. Given his decades-long career, he can look back on more than 30 years in journalism across different media—from newspaper to radio and television work, including the founding of Europe’s first multi-cultural radio station “Radio Multikulti” in 1994. Cem was born and raised in Istanbul and moved to Berlin with his family in 1989 and received his PhD in Political Science from the Free University Berlin in 1998. He is married and lives with his wife, son, and dog in Berlin.

Project: “The Image of Germany in Turkey - An analysis of the Turkish media perspective of the last 20 years”

Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been experiencing increased interest among the German public and media in recent years. Under these conditions, it is astonishing that the pressure of the power apparatus on the media and the formation of opinion and its effects on German-Turkish relations have gone relatively unnoticed. The aim of this project is to understand and document the development of the image of Germany in the Turkish media and to decipher this special period in bilateral relations in the context of the media through an analysis of exemplary media coverage over the last 20 years as well as accompanying interviews with political influencers and media makers in Turkey. Which structures, events, and political contexts were decisive?  Did pro-government journalists contribute to the escalation of relations? What patterns and stereotypes were used in the discussion about Germany in the Turkish media? What kind of opposing media channels and perspectives have evolved to potentially create a different image of German-Turkish relations? This project will develop a better understanding of the links between power and the media and the influence of power in bilateral relations, because media content has a major impact on the perception of nations and countries.