The personal interest of a journalist

Journalists should always adopt the stance of "first the public interest, then the institution's interest, then personal interest." The main function of journalism is to defend the interest of the entire society, the entire public. 

This function is the reason why journalists are sometimes called the "public watchdog." Other definitions such as the "watchdog of the truth" and the "watchdog of democracy" are also sometimes used, but they all mean the same thing: They all emphasize that "public benefit" should come before anything else for journalists. When writing a story, the first question to ask is whether there is a public benefit in the writing of this. The answer determines a story's newsworthiness. 

When a journalist is writing a story or an opinion piece, if they are in a situation to protect their own personal interests or the interests of a particular group, person or an institution other than the public interest, then a "conflict of interest" arises. For this reason, a journalist should not be in a position demanding protection of any interest other than the public interest. 

If a journalist has another job, or is in a material relationship with another company, club, organization or group, it is problematic. The journalist then may fall into the dilemma of protecting the public interest or the place/person they share an interest relationship with. Even if the journalist does not have a dilemma, the slightest doubt that his/her editorial decision has been affected can be regarded as a conflict of interest.
Unfortunately, the necessary care is not shown in the Turkish media to prevent conflicts of interest. Several dual positions that create or have the potential to create conflict of interests are accepted as normal. This is...