Social media became medium for spreading disinformation: Turkish broadcaster head

Social media has become a medium for spreading disinformation, allowing fake news to spread rapidly, according to the head of the Turkish national broadcaster.

"It was claimed that social media would be an area where individuals could express their opinions more freely, but it suddenly became a medium for fake news and disinformation," Mehmet Zahid Sobaci, the director-general of Turkish Radio and Television (TRT), said at the current Stratcom Youth: International Young Communicators Forum.

Sobaci told young communicators at the forum in the Turkish resort city of Antalya that the world now faces a social media that capitalizes on chaos, uncertainty, and extremism.

Stressing that disinformation and manipulation are rampant in the digital world, he said that conversely, the need for accurate information is growing every day.

As the global system was in crisis, it brought more disinformation, he said, adding that the global system is trying to cover this up with fake news trying to manipulate societies.

At one panel of the forum, representatives of Turkey's Communications Directorate shared the vision and work of the institution. Gokhan Yucel, head of strategic communications and crisis management, served as the panel's moderator.

Oguz Guner, head of the directorate's public diplomacy department, said they place great importance on bilateral relations in public diplomacy and added that they are trying to establish bilateral relations with journalists, artists, and politicians abroad.

"It is very difficult to explain yourself to the international public," Guner said, adding that they are working hard to disseminate and tell the truth.

Busra Karaduman Aktuna, head of the directorate's press and publication department, said they compile news about Turkey written abroad and that they are interested in the work of 16,000 press members in her country.

Mucahid Eker, coordinator of the directorate's national media department, said that time goes very fast today and that they use a multidimensional communication flow in this process.

Eker said they coordinate programs for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and that he has a very busy schedule.

Durmus Ersoy, head of the directorate's public relations department, said the Presidency's Communication Center is unparalleled worldwide, and that last year the center got over 6.1 million applications.