Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said, "We strive to make the Century of Turkey the Century of Communication and to build a fair and effective communication ecosystem in line with this vision. All the aims of our Directorate of Communications and leading institutions and organizations such as TRT and Anadolu Agency are aimed at this." he said.
Duran attended the 12th "TRT Future Communicators Competition Award Ceremony" held at the Ministry of Education Shura Hall.
In his speech here, Duran stated that he attaches special importance to every initiative aimed at young people and every activity in which young people are involved, and said that he believes that young people will bring a new breath to the media order with their energy, passion, unique perspectives and learning potential.
Stating that the competition was organized for the 12th time this year with the motto "giving importance to young people means giving importance to the future", Duran stated that it was meaningful to include the 15 July Special Category this year in the competition held in 15 categories.
Duran stated that it is one of their most valuable goals to keep alive the memory of the 15th July coup attempt, whose 10th anniversary has passed, and the struggle for democracy that night, and congratulated those who contributed to the "Century Night" series, which was broadcast on TRT screens and followed with great interest by the nation.
Noting that the theme of the competition's communication campaign was determined as "Productive Artificial Intelligence", Duran said, "Artificial intelligence has many possibilities, especially when considered in terms of developments in the field of communication and media. However, it also causes us concern on some issues. In addition, our current habits in the field of media, our way of doing business, and our relations with knowledge and information have already undergone a radical transformation. Considering that artificial intelligence brings with it great threats regarding the confidentiality of personal data, privacy, information pollution, algorithmic censorship, disinformation and fake content." We must not miss it." he said.
"What matters is not technology, but people"
Duran said that the possibility of a technology intended to serve humans getting out of control is a matter of debate that could outweigh its benefits, and continued as follows:
"What matters is not technology, but people. Technology is valuable to the extent that it serves humanity, a fair order, and positive development. I believe that an understanding of technology that puts people at its center and a communication ecosystem that will develop around a fair order will provide great benefits to all humanity. As the Directorate of Communications, we approach new communication technologies and the rapidly transforming communication ecosystem with this understanding. We are working to develop qualities such as digital literacy, media literacy, and social awareness against disinformation in our nation. "We are working in coordination with our academy community to strengthen the conceptual basis of this transformation and guide the communicators of the future."
Burhanettin Duran said, "We strive to make the Century of Turkey the Century of Communication and to build a fair and effective communication ecosystem in line with this vision. All the aims of our Directorate of Communications and leading institutions and organizations such as TRT and Anadolu Agency are aimed at this." he said.
"We cannot see digital platforms as neutral channels"
Stating that the traditional communication model, in which information is distributed from a single center to passive masses with the opportunities provided by the digital age, is no longer valid, Duran said that one of the most determining elements of this age is "interaction".
Stating that in today's communication model, almost everyone is in the position of both a consumer and a producer, Duran said, "But I would like to remind you that the fact that every person has become a content producer also creates a problem in terms of the reliability of information. Because the acceleration of communication processes leads to the spread of not only information, but also disinformation and derivative contents at the same speed. The question of whether the information before us is true or not turns into a crisis of meaning, where we do not know what to believe, and from there to a crisis of truth, where the common ground of reality is eroded." made his evaluations.
Pointing out that another factor that further deepens the truth crisis is the increasing hegemonic power of large technology companies over the circulation of information, Duran said:
"Especially search engines and social media platforms determine which information or content will be visible largely through algorithms. We have clearly seen and continue to see a striking example of this in the genocide that Israel has been carrying out for more than 3 years in the Palestinian territories, especially in Gaza. We cannot see digital platforms as neutral channels. These platforms are becoming digital dictatorships that shape the flow of information, determine the visibility of the contents, and bend the information according to the situation. At this point, we should look back at history and see that the media We must remember its relationship with colonialism and the dominance of imperialist understandings in communication processes.
This historical experience requires us to think about the possibility of digital dictatorships being produced through the new communication ecosystem and their possible consequences. We should never ignore the possibility of reproducing unequal power relations, cultural domination and one-sided representations in content production. The first step to be taken against these threats is to ensure decolonization in the field of communication and media. In other words, it is to move away from the single-centered, monophonic representation approach in communication to an order in which everyone can tell their own story with their own voice. This means transforming the communication and media order by eliminating all forms of domination and establishing a fair and effective media order."
"Our most important duty is to make the digital space safe"
Stating that their most important duty is to secure the digital space, Duran reminded that in this context, the Türkiye Artificial Intelligence Action Plan was announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on June 13.
Stating that this plan aims to spread artificial intelligence literacy, train human resources for artificial intelligence, create a data ecosystem and legal framework, Duran said that, as the Directorate of Communications, they contribute to the digital well-being of the country with periodical and non-periodical publications, panels, training programs and many activities led by communication faculties.
Burhanettin Duran wished God's mercy to TRT News reporter Recep Levent Öztürk, who passed away last week, and expressed his condolences and patience to his family and loved ones.
After the speeches, the young communicators who were successful were given their awards.
