Üsküdar Üniversitesi, in collaboration with the International Social Media Users Association, organized a panel on “Social Media and Journalism”. The panel, moderated by Prof. Dr. Süleyman İrvan, Head of the Journalism Department at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Communication, was attended by Atty. Bedia Teymur, Editor-in-Chief of Haberler.com; Okan Geçgel, President of TİGAD; Mustafa Biçer, Anatolian Side Regional Manager of İHA; Uğur Eskier, Secretary-General of ÜSMEK; and Aziz Akova, Reporter for Show TV.
Atty. Bedia Teymur: “People have become mobile with the effect of smartphones”
Making evaluations on social media journalism and internet journalism at the panel held in the Fuat Sezgin Conference Hall of the Faculty of Communication, Lawyer Bedia Teymur said; “Unfortunately, newspapers are nearing the end of their lifespan. Desktop publishing in the internet sphere is also coming to an end. With the effect of smartphones, people have become mobile. This has also reduced the number of people going to cinemas. Because people are no longer bound by time and place. For example, YouTube videos are watched more. Because when people come home, they can watch the videos they want whenever they want. Journalism has changed very rapidly. Social media has become a source for accessing news, both for the public and for us.”
Mustafa Biçer: “Agency journalism constitutes the majority of news”
Mustafa Biçer, Anatolian Side Regional Manager of İHA (İhlas News Agency), made striking statements on agency journalism and social media. Biçer stated; “It is a little-known fact that agency journalism exists in the media. Agency journalism organizations constitute the vast majority of news worldwide. Globally, there are agencies like Reuters and EPA. In Turkey, there are İHA, Demirören News Agency, Anadolu Agency, and ANKA News Agency. As agency journalists, we have reporters and cameramen in every region of the world, and we deliver the news from them to our subscribers. We also serve these news stories to the media through our social media accounts.”
Aziz Akova: “The WhatsApp Line has become a business line”
Making evaluations on WhatsApp tip lines and TV journalism, SHOW TV Reporter Aziz Akova said; “As news channels, we used to rely more on agencies, but now we rely on WhatsApp. The WhatsApp Line has become a business line. At Show Haber, we have a staff member who manages the WhatsApp Line. They are referred to as the WhatsApp editor. They examine the incoming footage. News stories first pass through their filter, and then they present them to the managers at a meeting, where they are turned into news with the desired good visuals and served. The WhatsApp Line genuinely makes our work much easier now.” he stated.
Uğur Eskier: “Social media has transformed life”
Making evaluations on social media journalism and its effects, Uğur Eskier, Secretary-General of USMEK (Üsküdar Art and Vocational Training Courses), said; “As an association, we do not see social media merely as a communication area. Because social media has transformed life. And it continues to transform it. Just as companies are undergoing digital transformation, society is also transforming. Social media has become a medium for this. Therefore, as an association, we believe that social media and its users should be specifically addressed. Courses and panels on this topic should be organized at universities.”
Okan Geçgel: “When we say social media law, it started to be associated with prohibitions”
Referring to the latest developments in the internet journalism law, Okan Geçgel, President of TİGAD (Turkish Internet Journalism Association), stated; “As TİGAD, we have been making very serious efforts for a long time to enact the internet journalism law. We share this with the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). The purpose of establishing this commission is to pass the digital media internet journalism law and to enact some laws based on research related to social media. The social media law began to be associated with prohibitions. The internet journalism law remained in its shadow. We are fighting for this.”
