Introduction to New Media Dr. Burçe Çelik

The Introduction of the Net to Turkey In 1993 TUBITAK, METU (TR-NET) and DPT collaborate to bring this new tech to Turkey. This line has been the only exit from Turkey to the global net for a while. In 1994, Ege Univerity, in 1995 Bilkent University and Boğaziçi, in 1996 İTÜ has connected to the net. In 1996 the total users of net were , in , in , in , in , in (Taken from mynet research in Turkey) By 2011, 42.9 % of all households of Turkey has a connection to the net and the users of the net by 2011 who are above age of 12 are around 23 million.

The Use of the net in Turkey today

What do they regularly do on the net? %38, Search Engines %36, Web sites %28, Chat %23

What do they occasionally do on the net? 42 % news

The Business of Digital Journalism The difference between “classical journalism” and digital one. Is there a difference? What has changed: the business of news, the way news is reported, aggregated, distributed and shared.

Digital Journalism 1.Digital requires a new way of thinking about your audience, one that now feasts on an abundance of information. (Digital platform requires entirely different mind-set) (so many information for free)

Digital Journalism 2.Digital is where the users are heading. According to the last researches, the sales of print media are declining. (see for how the sales of popular Turkish newspapers’ circulation numbers are declaring since 2007.) Yet more people read news on the net does not necessarily mean the revenue of it would be proportionate. Mobile ad sales are still low but expected to grow in near future.

Digital Journalism Digital provides a means to innovate rapidly, determine audience size quickly and wind down unsuccessful business with minimal expense. (No need for printing press, papers, antennas etc anymore) (the process from an idea to publication is shortened but many others can also imitate the content and the form very quickly)

Digital Journalism Digital Platforms extend the lifespan of journalism. (in print, articles or news were always for a day, but in the digital platforms they remain so that news organizations can make money out of their archives such as Nokta in Turkey)

Digital Journalism Digital disrupts the aggregation model that was so profitable for so long. (Almost no one reads the whole newspaper or watches the whole news program on TV) (News relevant to particular audience can be assembled cheaply and easily on the net. Readers get divergent and competing points of view through the net).

Digital Journalism Journalists today can find readers wherever there is access to the net. (Market is expanding hugely).

Digital Journalism Users produce their own content. (Publishers have less control on distribution and content production. Almost all digital newspapers have bloggers –they sometimes become more popular than columnists).

Digital Journalism New audiences centered on specialized topics or interests. (Meaning more efficient ad avenues for companies. Sites for women, rappers, football fans etc)

Digital Journalism Publishers have more information about their readers in real time. (Media companies can measure the popularity of articles, videos etc and adjust their strategy to maximize revenue and audience).

Digital Journalism Digital platforms fundamentally change the reader experience in ways that are both advantageous and harmful for news organizations’ economics. (by tailoring content publishers can attract the advertisers and yet users stay on a site for a far shorter time)

Digital Journalism The way publishers do business change –they cannot get so much ads, they distribute news for free (subscription fees are largely not appreciated by the readers –they think it is ideological rather than economic), the market is too much competitive…

Digital Journalism Alternative journalists, citizen journalism, new voices are coming in…. Hopefully making the mediascape into a more democratic sphere.