On the Verge of Digital Transformation: An In-Depth Session on Journalism and Artificial Intelligence

One of the important sessions within the scope of the 2nd International Artificial Intelligence and Hypermedia Symposium organized by Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Faculty of Communication, “Journalism and Artificial Intelligence on Online Platforms” was held between 10:00–12:40. The session hosted comprehensive discussions questioning the multi-layered relationship between digital journalism and artificial intelligence technologies.

News: Baran Turan

The session moderated by Prof. Dr. Selami Özsoy, Res. Asst. Sadullah Bağ and Deniz Feyza Tokdemir turned into a platform where hopes, concerns and critical thoughts about the future of the journalism profession were presented together, and the field was enriched both theoretically and practically.

Algorithms, Ethical Questions and the Evolution of Journalism

Dr. Tolga Tellan addressed the digitalizing journalism practices in the context of algorithms and artificial intelligence in his opening presentation of the session. Emphasizing that the doors of a new era where media content is shaped by algorithms are being opened, Tellan demonstrated how this situation affects both content production and reader behavior with examples. Her statement, “Algorithms do not only select content, they also decide which reality to circulate,” became a frequently cited thought throughout the session.

Lecturer Dr. Öznur Nalçınkaya discussed the future of journalism in the context of automated content production. She brought up important issues such as the risk of losing editorial control in the process of producing routine news with artificial intelligence, content homogeneity and originality issues. The presentation also touched on the ethical dimensions of the “robot journalism” phenomenon, evoking deep thoughts in the audience.

Lecturer Dr. Olga Untila Kaplan drew attention with her discussion of the concept of “entropy” in journalism. She examined the impact of artificial intelligence technologies on the accuracy, reliability and diversity of news with a philosophical and structural approach. Her presentation stood out in terms of both its theoretical depth and the different conceptual framework it offered.

Applications, Experiences and Local Reflections

Sevgi Pilgi presented how artificial intelligence technologies are currently used in the journalism profession based on her doctoral thesis. This presentation, which examined text production, image analysis and content recommendation systems with practical examples, was functional in terms of showing the real equivalents of AI tools in the field.

Res. Asst. Halil Saç and Prof. Dr. Nurcan Töreli evaluated the pessimistic and optimistic approaches to artificial intelligence in journalism through a critical filter. The presentation shed light on the dead ends of the journalism approach, which is stuck between technological determinism and human-centered ethics. Questions such as “How autonomous should artificial intelligence be, how far can human intervention be withdrawn?” created an interactive discussion environment.

Muhammet Erdem Duru, in his presentation where he examined the use of AI tools in the context of local journalism, shared the difficulties, hopes and doubts experienced by especially small-scale newsrooms regarding technological transformation. Real experiences in the field made the often overlooked aspects of this field visible.

Student Perspectives on New Generation Journalism

Semih Baykal evaluated the contribution of artificial intelligence applications to news production through local media examples in Bolu. This presentation with a local context provided important clues about the digitalization process of regional media, and raised the question of “how can global technologies be adapted locally?”

Kevser Yeşilyurt analyzed the relationship between data journalism and artificial intelligence on the basis of opportunities and risks. The discussion on the accuracy, auditability and accessibility of news obtained by processing large data sources through AI was especially guiding for young journalist candidates.

Is the Profession of Journalism Being Redefined?

The papers presented in this session revealed that the professional boundaries of journalism are being redrawn. In a period when content production is accelerating but auditing and ethical processes are becoming unclear, the opportunities that artificial intelligence brings to the media ecosystem were discussed as well as the threats.

The participants were united in seeing the profession of journalism not only as a news production process but also as an area of ​​ethical responsibility. AI-supported journalism has been evaluated not only as a technological transformation but also as an epistemological break.