19.12.2025 22:20
Kemal Öztürk, a commentator for NTV and former General Manager of Anadolu Agency, participated in the "Digital Journalism and Media Workshop" organized by the Turkish Internet Journalism Association in Şanlıurfa. In his presentation titled "Agency Journalism and Social Media," he made striking assessments on various topics, ranging from the challenges of agency journalism to the digital revolution, and from the dangers posed by social media to artificial intelligence.
Speaking at the "Digital Journalism and Media Workshop" organized by the Turkish Internet Journalism Association, former General Manager of AA, Kemal Öztürk, stated that the production of accurate and reliable news has now become not only a professional issue but also a national security matter.
"MULTILINGUAL PUBLICATION IS A MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY"
Öztürk, who described the transition to multilingual publication during his tenure at the AA General Directorate, noted that they realized foreign news translations had been done through external agencies for many years.
"If the words of the head of state are being translated by an agency from another country, this is a security issue. Therefore, we started multilingual publication and entered into competition with agencies like AFP and Reuters."
DIGITAL REVOLUTION AND GRAPHIC SERVICE
Öztürk stated that they noticed a significant digital transformation when looking at Western agencies, expressing that important steps have been taken in this direction at Anadolu Agency.
"We established a graphic service and became one of the world's leading agencies in graphic production. The agency's restructuring was essential in the face of the digital revolution."
"NEWSPAPERS ARE NOW DEPENDENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, FORMERLY ON AGENCIES"
Öztürk pointed out that newspapers have distanced themselves from production over the years, making a striking observation:
"By 2011-2012, 70% of newspapers were dependent on agency news. Today, however, newspapers have become dependent on social media."
IS SOCIAL MEDIA A NEW MONOPOLY AND CENSORSHIP?
Öztürk emphasized that social media has created a new area of monopoly and censorship, citing the example of the Gaza war.
"Platforms like Facebook and YouTube have shut down thousands of pro-Palestinian accounts. Journalists' data was shared, and they were targeted and killed. This is now a security issue."
Stating that this problem is not only a media issue but also a matter of state policy, Öztürk highlighted the importance of local platforms and warned, "As long as we do not establish our own platforms, this security gap will continue to haunt us."
AI WARNING: "SHAMEFUL BUT TRUE"
Addressing the use of artificial intelligence, Öztürk mentioned that some journalists and commentators are directly having their content written by AI, indicating an ethical issue.
"Analyses obtained from artificial intelligence are read on screen without citing the source. This is shameful for our profession. One day, they may not need us."
"MORAL EROSION AND THE THREAT OF FAKE NEWS"
Öztürk emphasized that the sector is undergoing serious moral erosion, concluding his remarks on a pessimistic yet hopeful note:
"Another problem is a moral problem. Inflation first creates moral erosion. Having an excessive number of mass communication tools in our sector has also led to inflation. To exist there, everyone is raising their hand. Fake news manipulation, sensationalism... I am pessimistic about the profession. I hope the new generation does not make the mistakes we made."