Experts speak on role of digital media in society in İstanbul

Academics discussed the impact of social media on politics and social movements at the Medialog Platform conference.(Photo: Today's Zaman, İsa Şimşek)
Academics discussed the impact of social media on politics and social movements at the Medialog Platform conference.(Photo: Today's Zaman, İsa Şimşek)


Date posted: October 13, 2014

SEVGİ AKARÇEŞME / ISTANBUL

The Medialog Platform brought together academics and communication experts from different parts of the region surrounding Turkey in İstanbul on Friday for their second International Communication Conference, to discuss the impact of social media on politics and social movements.

Professor Nicolas Baygert from Belgium said the new forms of engagement emerging in social media are the biggest threat to the legitimacy of political leaders in today’s world. According to him, social media is a source of political self-determination. Baygert highlighted examples, such as the Pirate Party that emerged in Sweden in 2006, as a display of online political emancipation.

Medialog functions under the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV), which acts of the representative of the faith-based Hizmet movement in Turkey. Deputy Secretary General of Medialog Murat Akşit, said this conference should be useful at a time social media’s impact on social movements such as the Arab Spring are under the spotlight.

A participant from Ukraine, academic Bogdana Nosova, provided detailed examples from the massive and months-long protests in her country on the role of social media. She said people paid attention to the calls made on Facebook by journalists such as Mustafa Naim to meet in Maidan Square in Kiev. According to Nosova, the Internet is the most important factor in people maintaining their Ukrainian identity outside Ukraine.

For Professor Angeles Moreno from Spain, social media is currently the biggest challenge for conventional media. Similarly, Professor George Pelois from Greece said old media tools have lost their influence with the emergence of social media. He said that after Google, Facebook is the second most popular website that people visit in Greece.
German academic Hendrik Speck, who delivered a presentation on ethical issues in the communication sector, stated that there is no criteria for what is ethical on the Internet. Speck also directed attention to the generation gap between politicians in Europe and the countries’ Internet users.

Moderating one of the sessions, Professor Savaş Genç from İstanbul Fatih University touched upon the role of social media during the Gezi Park protests that shook the Turkey in the summer of 2013.

The Medialog conference hosted participants from the US, Russia, Hungary as well as Kazakhstan.

Source: Today's Zaman , October 10, 2014


Related News

Bosnians Protest at Student’s Arrest in Turkish Crackdown

Masetovic, a 21-year-old student at the University of Usak, was arrested last month in the western Turkish city, accused of being part of a network led by exiled cleric Fetullah Gulen. “At the time of the coup in Turkey, my son was at home in Bosnia and Herzegovina and had nothing to do with the events there,” his father Husein Masetovic was quoted as saying.

CPJ report: Turkey world’s 10th most dangerous country for journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Wednesday released a special report for 2014 designating Turkey is the world’s 10 worst country for journalists, once again underlining the country’s deteriorating situation for freedom of expression and free media.

Full-Fledged Hate Speech By Erdoğan: Gülen Movement Became ‘Unthinking Slaves’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has added new insults to his rich collection of hate speeches and defamation targeting Gülen movement on Wednesday and said that “Gülen movement members lost their way, and only follow orders from their owner Fethullah Gülen.”

Pakistan – Turkish teachers, students not to be deported, court told

The federal government Wednesday told the Lahore High Court that Turkish national teachers and students of PakTurk International Schools would not be deported.

Tanzanian students place first in Turkish Olympiad folk dance final

KÜBRA ENGİN, İSTANBUL A group of Tanzanian students won the final round in the 11th International Turkish Olympiad folk dance competition held at the İstanbul Sinan Erdem Sports Complex on Thursday night. Thousands of spectators were thrilled by the performances of foreign students in the folk dance finals as part of the Olympiad, a competition […]

Erdoğan’s war against Hizmet: Step by step

Turkish prosecutors carried out a number of arrests and raids on the morning of 17th December 2013 as part of a series of on-going corruption investigations. PM Erdogan’s response has been to call this a coup attempt against his government orchestrated by a coalition of foreign and domestic enemies. Erdogan claims that the ‘domestic pawn’ of this plot is the Hizmet movement. His number one election campaign promise: to crush and annihilate the treacherous Hizmet movement.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Today’s Zaman celebrates sixth anniversary

Establishing a Culture of Coexistence and Mutual Understanding Conference convenes in Nigeria

Opposition condemns Erdoğan’s vindictive remarks against Gülen movement

Gülen’s lawyer likens hate campaign against his client to Nazi era

An instructive crisis

Cleric Accused Of Plotting Turkish Coup Attempt: ‘I Have Stood Against All Coups’

Turkish Intelligence Agency (MIT) at center of political storm

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News