19.12.2025 19:50
At the "Digital Journalism and Media Workshop" organized by the Turkish Internet Journalism Association in Şanlıurfa, journalist İsmail Saymaz stated that social media has fundamentally changed journalism, saying, "The biggest victim of this process has been printed newspapers."
The profound transformation brought about by digitalization in journalism was discussed at the "Digital Journalism and Media Workshop" organized by TİGAD in Şanlıurfa.
Journalist İsmail Saymaz, who gave a speech titled "From Traditional to Social Media Journalism," stated that social media has fundamentally changed journalism, emphasizing that printed newspapers have paid the heaviest price in this process.
"NEWS IS NOW OBTAINED FROM SOCIAL MEDIA"
Speaking in the second session of the workshop hosted by Harran University Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Saymaz pointed out that news access habits have completely changed.
Saymaz stated that people now follow news not from newspapers, but largely through social media and search engines, saying, "People receive news while browsing Facebook, X, and Instagram. Social media is no longer just a sharing platform; it is a serious news source."
"NEWSPAPERS BECAME THE VICTIMS OF THE PROCESS"
Emphasizing that journalism has undergone a revolutionary transformation, Saymaz expressed that printed newspapers have paid the heaviest price for this change, stating: "There is a significant time difference between the printing time of newspapers and the time they reach the reader. By the time the news reaches the reader, it has already been consumed on social media and digital platforms. Therefore, newspapers became the victims of the process."
"JOURNALISM THAT PROVIDES INFORMATION, NOT JUST OPINIONS"
Saymaz noted that social media has also transformed audience and reader expectations, summarizing the new understanding of journalism: "People now want journalism that provides information, not just opinions. There is a need for verified, simple, and direct information."
Despite the decline in the habit of buying newspapers, Saymaz emphasized that reading news has not decreased; on the contrary, it has increased. He stated, "The increase in smartphone usage, the ease of internet access, and the low cost of reading news have significantly boosted people's news consumption. People are no longer dependent on a single newspaper; they can follow news from multiple sources and platforms. Accessing news in visual, written, and audio formats has become easier. News is consumed at an unprecedented speed and volume." He explained the current state of journalism. However, he also pointed out a danger, stating that false news on social media has a greater impact than the truth, and it is very difficult to eliminate the effect it creates.