An Assessment on the Media Agenda in Türkiye and News Obesity
Adnan Ateş discusses the overly intense media agenda in Türkiye, the reporting of ordinary events, and its mental reflections.
The excessive density of the media agenda in Türkiye and the reporting of every ordinary event bring along discussions of mental fatigue and news obesity.
The Struggle to Keep Up with the Agenda
No one, not even those who have to closely follow the news due to their profession, can fully keep up with the flow anymore. Issues presented as important matters in the morning are forgotten by evening.
The Scale of the Media
The real problem is not the speed of the agenda, but the disruption of the media's news scale. Every detail, from a cat in an apartment shaft to neighborhood fights, is carried to the national agenda.
Questioning Public Value
Although Western media has concerns about sensationalism and ratings, serious outlets continue to ask as a fundamental question whether an event carries public value.
Viewership-Oriented Broadcasting
In Türkiye, however, the focus has shifted from public benefit to viewership rates. News directly affects human perception and how they read the world.
The Concept of News Obesity
Just as the body is driven to obesity by excessive calories, filling the mind with more information than needed and unfiltered information leads to news obesity.
Everything Being Breaking News
Central Bank decisions and neighborhood fights are presented on the same screen with similar weight. Presenting everything with a breaking news announcement causes the concept to lose its meaning.
Editing and Responsibility
Journalism is not only knowing what to publish, but also what not to publish. True editing focuses on what people need to know rather than viewership.
Social Reflections
This order, where fear, anger, and bewilderment turn into traffic, creates a tired society that is aware of everything but unable to know what is important.