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 11, 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

Tentacles of Turkey’s growing autocracy reach Thailand

“After the 2010 election, Erdogan and the AKP failed to politicise the Gulen movement, a civilian Islamic phenomenon,” Erdem says. Power-hungry forces within the AKP reached out to Gulen, intent on tapping this source of mass political support. When the tactic failed, Gulen supporters came to be seen as enemies of the state.

Amnesty laments treatment of Turkey purge victims

Those who believe they were wrongfully sacked can apply to a special commission to have their case reviewed and either be reinstated or compensated. The commission has “failed to uphold international standards and is acting as a de facto rubber stamp for the initial flawed decisions,” Andrew Gardner, Amnesty’s Turkey strategy and research manager, said.

Government circular bans Gülen followers from collecting sacrificed animal skins

A recent government circular sent to police departments across Turkey told police to seize the skins of sacrificed animals during Eid al-Adha collected on behalf of the “Fethullah Gülen terrorist organization” (FETÖ) — a derogatory term President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his political associates developed in order to disparage the faith-based Gülen movement, which is […]

Hizmet, politics and political parties

In the past, the Hizmet movement never formed alliances or got involved in an organic relationship with any political party. At the same time, it never ever demanded anything from political parties that strayed outside of the above-outlined principles, or was contrary to rights, the law, democracy, merit or the will of God. The Hizmet movement gains its strength from this fullness of heart and independence.

Human Rights Foundation asks Kosovo PM to free 6 Gulen followers

US-based Human Rights Foundation has asked, in an urgent letter, to free 6 Gulen followers, arrested facing deportation to Turkey at the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s order.

Erdoğan’s imaginary power struggles

When we look at international media coverage of the recent corruption scandal in Turkey, we see that the events are generally seen as a “power struggle” between the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and the 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

TUSKON says systematic campaign of defamation under way

Syrian Refugees Relief Campaign

Turkish cultural day in the Philippines

Turkish Gov’t Unveils 16 Ways to Identify Gulenists [as Terrorists]

Corruption probe [in Turkey]

Chatham United Methodist Church Hosted Abraham Interfaith Lunch

A Turkish citizen spreads a message of love and coexistence from the US

Copyright 2024 Hizmet News