In the 'January 10 Working Journalists' Day Panel,' jointly organized by the Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, Department of Journalism, and the Media Academy Association (MAKDER), prominent figures from the field participated as speakers. The program highlighted the distinctiveness of Üsküdar Communication and the achievements of the faculty, emphasized journalists' responsibility to the public, and addressed general issues of the media.
The event, held at the Fuat Sezgin Conference Hall of Üsküdar University South Campus, was moderated by Prof. Dr. Süleyman İrvan, Dean of the Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication.
The opening speeches of the panel were delivered by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay, Head of the Department of Journalism, Selçuk Taşdemir, General President of MAKDER, and Nuran Şahin, President of the Journalism Club.
Journalist-War Correspondent Cem Tekel, TV100 Anchor Lara Kırmusaoğlu, Journalist Yusuf Özgür Bülbül, and Agenda Editor Nilay Tuğçe Bostancı participated as guests in the panel.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay: “I want to congratulate all journalists for their efforts”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay, Head of the Department of Journalism, emphasized that the speakers' experiences are as important a source of information for students as their lessons; “Today marks the anniversary of a historical event. January 10 Working Journalists' Day emerged as a result of certain events that occurred after the press profession law was published in the official gazette on January 10, 1961. It is the anniversary of nine newspaper owners stopping printing newspapers for three days to protest this press profession law, which granted certain rights to journalists, and journalists, in response, continuing to print their own newspapers for three days, meaning their efforts to work despite the owners and to deliver the public's right to information. Therefore, the meaning of 'working' in 'working journalists' comes from this. On this occasion, on behalf of my department, I want to congratulate all journalists, working, unable to work, unemployed, or not employed, for their efforts. I thank them for the dedication and efforts they show in performing their profession.”
Selçuk Taşdemir: “Üsküdar Communication shows its difference”
Selçuk Taşdemir, General President of MAKDER, emphasizing the importance of practical education; “You are very lucky; we visit many schools, but we truly see the difference of Üsküdar Communication everywhere we go. Being told that we know you by the work you do in Üsküdar Communication also makes us happy. The knowledge you will gain here, alongside theory, with Haber Üsküdar and news workshops, will provide significant contributions. I want you to have dozens of your news stories published by the time you graduate; your news stories will be a serious reference for you in job applications, rather than someone else's reference. Even if you are a content creator, the main profession of this work is journalism. At this point, Üsküdar Communication shows its difference.”
Prof. Dr. Süleyman İrvan: “January 10 is the anniversary of the law granting journalists the most important rights in Turkey”
Dean of the Faculty of Communication, İrvan, stating that he commemorates this day with the journalism club every January 10 and addresses the problems of journalists; “January 10 is indeed the anniversary of the law that granted journalists the most important rights in Turkey. The law provided journalists with an advantage against their employers. It was a very important law for employees, but journalists could not protect their positions. There are many reasons why they couldn't, but most notably, the monopolization that occurred in the 1980s and 90s…”
Journalist Cem Tekel: “The work you do has a responsibility and a public impact”
Journalist Cem Tekel, emphasizing that the main purpose of Working Journalists' Day is to protect the rights of press members; “We voice the troubles of all kinds of society, but we cannot explain our own troubles. The work you do has a responsibility and a public impact. Our work is truly difficult and requires attention. You cannot unionize. You get fired. Most recently, 30 people were fired without compensation from a large media organization. They were well-known names. They couldn't get severance pay. You don't hear much about these, but unfortunately, this is the current situation. The bulletins produced are the same, but the number of employees has decreased significantly. Currently, reporters working in television go to multiple news stories. They work more than they should. The media sector is currently experiencing serious difficulties. There isn't the money you expect in large institutions. You need to know these things to avoid disappointment. Journalism is a matter of passion. I couldn't see my child's birth. Mehmet Ali Erbil showed it to me live on air. I couldn't attend many of my friends' weddings or funerals. I also saw the Gaza war. A sniper also pointed a gun at me. I experienced very difficult things, I saw war, but there should be a compensation for these. In the foreign press, there is life insurance when entering war zones, but this is not available in Turkey. If I die, my family will not receive any compensation.”
Lara Kırmusaoğlu: “Journalism is a matter of passion”
TV100 Anchor Lara Kırmusaoğlu, pointing out that the media draws a framework for individuals; “If you work in the private sector, unfortunately, we cannot fully expect rights in Turkey. Journalism is a matter of passion. Friends who are on the reporting side, please know that that is true journalism because I really wanted to be a reporter, and at Merkez TV, I was only allowed to go out for one or two news stories. Those stories allowed me to see the outside environment. We went to the market, visited foreign exchange institutions if gold-dollar fell, did smaller news stories, or had the opportunity to meet and interview local political figures; if it can be called reporting, these were my experiences. When I came to Tele1, I saw a different 'kitchen' side of the job. You study this profession for four years, and your instructors already teach you the proper journalism ethics, but not everything happens as it's discussed; this is true in every department, actually, I studied child development. Unfortunately, I never witnessed teachers actually doing exactly what was taught there. There, too, the school doesn't allow it, your principal doesn't allow it. In media too, a framework is drawn for you. You are forced to conform to that framework. You can choose not to do this and work freelance, but whether that can sustain you financially is, of course, debatable. You need to make a name for yourself in a certain way. You have to start from scratch.”
Yusuf Özgür Bülbül: “The stronger the local sources are, the better journalism can be done nationally”
Journalist Yusuf Özgür Bülbül, speaking about the importance of local journalism; “My interest in local media started during my university years. I actively practiced journalism during my school years. I am one of those who believe that the foundation of journalism is local. Whether you work nationally or for international media organizations, I think many news stories originate locally. The stronger the local sources are, the better journalism can be done nationally. We conducted a thesis study on the digitalization of local newspapers. As a sample, we compared İzmir and Muş, representing east and west. My suggestion to you here is that you can start by working in local media; it can offer good opportunities for you to take a step. In fact, when we look at local media, there are not only bad places but also qualified ones. You can even earn more money in some local organizations than in national ones.”
Nilay Tuğçe Bostancı: “I had the chance to use the knowledge I gained when I entered the sector”
Nilay Tuğçe Bostancı, a graduate of Üsküdar University and Agenda Editor; “I am in my fifth year in this profession, and when I first entered the sector, I truly had the chance to use a lot of the information I learned here. Whether it was Haber Üsküdar, the blogs we created in class, YouTube and Instagram content, the things we learned about social media were very useful for our work. I have been at Cumhuriyet for 2 years, working as an agenda editor. At the same time, I produce health-related content. Since I usually start work at 7 in the morning, I have to review the previous day's content and be aware of the agenda. Unfortunately, we don't have many editors at night. During the day, we start our work by checking televisions, internet feeds, and Twitter trends. We enter at least 25 pieces of content daily. The number of content pieces can go up to 500. We also handle social media shares.”
The event concluded after participants' questions were answered and a group photo was taken.
