"Algorithm" warning from Director of Communications Burhanettin Duran: "A handful of companies control our thoughts

Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, who gave a speech to the participants at the closing of the TRT World Forum event at the Istanbul Congress Center, said, "Journalism has been a gatekeeper for us for years. Editors were checking whether the news was true or not and preventing unintentional harm from being caused there. I do not romanticize this. There are also commercial concerns and political realities, but editorial decisions are published with a name and there may be professional responsibilities related to that name. Today, this is increasingly the case." "It started to fall into the hands of the algorithm. There is no face left to confront, there is no name behind the decisions," he said.

"A FULL OF COMPANIES CONTROL HOW PEOPLE THINK"

In terms of journalism, the available data; Stating that being accurate, verified, and very important for the public would not be enough today, Director of Communications Duran explained the reason for this as follows: "The data may not be able to reach the people who need to hear it due to the algorithm. On the other hand, a false and provocative content can cross continents in minutes. This raises a fundamental question: Who decides which news reaches millions of people and which remains in the shadows behind the public eye? This brings to my mind a famous song. I think everyone knows the answer. Algorithms are not neutral. There are human preferences behind it. "If a handful of corporations with political interests control what people see, they control how people think."

"JOURNALISM NEEDS INDEPENDENCE, IT NEEDS FINANCIAL SUPPORT"

Speaking about the effects of the algorithm system on the journalism profession in daily life, Director of Communications Duran said, "Journalists check the data and verify the story for months. They do a lot of interviews. Editors, translators, legal experts. Then they share it. But online, a decision process enters and the algorithm makes the decision. Artificial intelligence spreads the information without verifying the source. The public sees this, and in the meantime, journalists are experiencing financial difficulties in their offices. So, at one point, you can broadcast by pressing a button, and what will happen if there is a problem like this? That's a war." "The anchors working in the region or the journalism that works in the background that you don't see need independence, it needs financial support, it needs strong professional ethics. Above all, what journalism needs is to be able to reach the public," he said.

"IN THE ALGORITHMIC AGE, OUR FUTURE REALLY CAUSES ANXIETY"