The 10th International Communication Days, a 3-day event themed 'Digital Capitalism and Communication,' has concluded. At the symposium's closing session, the topic of contemporary media was discussed under the title 'The Future of Media / Media of the Future.' During the session, attended by prominent figures in the field, it was highlighted that we are moving towards an era where audio and short videos will increase, and journalism is not being created but rather existing content is being reproduced. Emphasizing the need for serious questioning of journalism today, the session also underlined that journalism in all its forms will shift to online platforms.
The 10th International Communication Days Symposium, hosted and organized by Üsküdar University, concluded with a round table session on 'The Future of Media / Media of the Future.'
The final session of the symposium, where 253 papers were presented in 56 sessions, was attended by expert academics and journalists in the field. The session, moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yıldız Derya Birincioğlu Vural, Head of the New Media and Communication Department at Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, evaluated the development of media in the context of technology and artificial intelligence.
Prof. Dr. Ümit Atabek: “As Technology Advances, the Impact of Labor Decreases”
Firstly, Retired Academician and Communication Scientist Prof. Dr. Ümit Atabek made statements regarding the integration of new communication technologies into capitalism and how he evaluates the flow of information in new media from a cultural and sociological perspective.
Stating that there is an inverse relationship between technology and labor, Atabek said, “As high technology emerges in production processes, the impact of labor decreases. In the new media order brought by advanced technology, the situation of journalists has become divided into two. A significant portion has become journalists working for low wages, insecurely, and even without any attributed value. And then, an elite or ‘star journalist’ group emerged, characterized by a high number of followers and fame. This has long existed in Western media. In Turkey, we have distinctly seen it in the period after 1980.”
Atabek: “The Old Media Order is Dying, the New Media Order is Striving to be Born”
Atabek, noting that the emergence of a continuous state of inadequacy is an important issue for communication educators, said, “Being a media professional is not sufficient at the end of your 4-year education. It involves a lifelong learning process, where you must present yourself to employers with new skills every day. The current situation is like this, but there will certainly be changes. In these moments of change, there is an approach that says, ‘The old world is dying, the new world is struggling to be born.’ We can adapt this approach to say that the old media order is dying, its era is over, and the new media order is striving to be born.”
Prof. Dr. Peyami Çelikcan: “We are Becoming an Archive for Content Producers”
Prof. Dr. Peyami Çelikcan from İstinye University pointed out that with developments in digital media, new applications, functions, areas of use, and a new media user profile have begun to emerge. Addressing the consumption of digital media content, its impact on consumer behavior, and how it differentiates expectations, Çelikcan said, “The concept of home entertainment has developed extraordinarily. By purchasing signals, we have turned homes into entertainment centers. Viewers can easily access endless content. Thus, we are becoming an archive for content producers. Today, social transformation is discussed through platforms. Of course, these have brought problems. The time we allocate to screens has increased, and consequently, the concept of screen addiction has entered our lives.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ceren Sözeri: “Journalism in All its Forms Will Shift to Online Platforms”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ceren Sözeri from Galatasaray University shared her evaluations regarding the internationalization of media. Beginning her speech by stating that traditional media will disappear with digital transformation, Sözeri said, “Journalism in all its forms will shift to online platforms. The importance of visualization for people to understand will force journalists to possess multiple skills. The necessity of a direct, one-on-one relationship with the reader will emerge. With the advent of artificial intelligence, verification will also take on a very important role.”
Journalist Emre Kızılkaya: “Companies in Silicon Valley Set the Rules”
Journalist Emre Kızılkaya, within the scope of the seminar, conveyed his views on search engine optimizations and the algorithms they determine, limitations, and the polarized society that has emerged with them. Kızılkaya stated, “To understand how we arrived at digital platforms, especially in conjunction with the history of capitalism, we need to look at the history of journalism. In its early days, journalism was like a club for the aristocracy. From the beginning, capitalism and state control dominated. The development of the printing press and its spread to wide masses gave birth to a large media economy. To finance this, the advertising concept we know today emerged. With smartphones entering everyone's pockets, personal data began to be collected by a few specific companies. Things proceed according to the rules of these companies in Silicon Valley. One of these rules is the algorithm system that determines who will be highlighted in the distribution of content.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Muratoğlu: “Decentralization is in the Future of Social Networks”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan, Vice Dean of Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, evaluated the topic of decentralized social networks. Stating that decentralization is linked to the future of media, Pehlivan said, “Decentralized social networks do not have a single center and are not managed by a single authority. Everyone can set up a server or connect to one. At the same time, they can interact with people on other servers. This way, we can move away from certain algorithms that condition us.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bilge Şenyüz: “With Artificial Intelligence, Technology Becomes a Source or Receiver”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bilge Şenyüz from Marmara University Faculty of Communication shared the following information under the title 'The Place of Artificial Intelligence in Communication Technologies':
“We are moving towards an era where very serious discussions will revolve not only around journalism but also academic research. One of the changes it will create in the field of communication is that it will dismantle classic communication theory. The understanding that communication occurs only between individuals and that technology is seen as a tool is changing, because with artificial intelligence, technology becomes a source or receiver. Research shows that people with disabilities, psychological disorders, or dementia, in particular, are happy communicating with artificial intelligence. While this eliminates the naturalness of human-human relationships, it will also emerge as a door of hope for disadvantaged individuals.”
Şenyüz: “We are Moving Towards an Era Where Audio and Short Videos Will Increase”
Sharing her predictions regarding future human-machine relationships, Şenyüz said, “Research indicates that the media industry wants to invest 72% in podcasts and digital audio, 69% in weekend email newsletters, and 67% in digital media publications in the future. We are moving towards an era where audio and short videos will increase. On the other hand, we can say that platforms where niche user groups gather, such as Twitch and Discord, may become more prominent in the future. Currently, technology creators are loading patterns for human-human relationships onto machines. For example, we are also loading all sexist codes. Like Siri being a female secretary in the beginning… Perhaps in 50 years, we will be talking about how machines have disrupted human communication.”
Prof. Dr. Süleyman İrvan: “The Internet Enables Leaks”
Prof. Dr. Süleyman İrvan, Dean of Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, spoke about leak journalism, which is frequently seen on social media. İrvan said, “Capitalism is changing many things. Journalism has started to change. Who a journalist is has become debatable. The difference between leak journalism and investigative journalism is that investigative journalism is done more through research, and the subjects found are filtered. In leak journalism, there is source-oriented journalism. The internet provides many opportunities for leaks. There are people spreading and stealing information. Ultimately, we learn. Journalism has ceased to be attractive. Journalism is not being done; existing content is actually being reproduced. Journalism needs to be seriously questioned.”
Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör: “Üsküdar University Has Become a Hub with the Communication Days”
In her closing speech, Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör stated that Üsküdar University Communication Days has become a continuous and widely attended scientific sharing platform, and concluded her remarks as follows:
“It is Üsküdar University’s organization, but we conduct this colossal event with the contributions of the entire academic world in the field of communication. Many universities participated in our symposium. Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication has become a knowledge hub in the field of communication with the Communication Days. This is very gratifying. This symposium is an event for the academic world in communication and for all of us. We are proud to have made Üsküdar University a center where communication sciences are discussed.”
Among the main guest speakers of the symposium, which continued with high-quality programs from May 16-18, were Prof. Dr. Gillian Doyle from the University of Glasgow, Dr. Paško Bilić, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Development and International Relations, Department of Culture and Communication in Zagreb, Prof. Dr. Dan Schiller, Communication and Information Historian from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Prof. Dr. Victor Pickard from the Annenberg School for Communication, who shared important information within the main theme of 'Digital Capitalism and Communication' in their speeches.
