Dr. Akkan Suver, President of the Marmara Group Foundation, and Secretary General Sezgin Bilgiç participated in the Media Conference organized in Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China, on behalf of Turkish civil society.

In his speech, Dr. Akkan Suver evaluated "The Past and Present of the Media".

Before I begin my remarks, I would like to respectfully greet this distinguished assembly and the Xinhua Institute family, our hosts who have brought us together.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am a civil society leader.
I am a diplomat.
But above all, I am a journalist.

When I first started my career in journalism, a journalist was always one step ahead of the public in their country.

Because the journalist lived and reported the events of the day, while the people learned about them only the next day by reading what the journalist had written.
This was a great privilege.

That privilege was first diminished by the increasing popularity of radio, then further reduced with the rise of multi-channel television, and today, it has been almost completely erased by digital platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Twitter (X), and Instagram.

In the near future, artificial intelligence also seems poised to transform all models of journalism!

Journalism and reporting—perhaps the most telling sign that our world has become a global village—are today facing a serious and deep-rooted crisis.

This crisis, first and foremost, is about money.
More broadly, it is a financial crisis that is straining accurate reporting and quality journalism.

Consequently, trust in journalists and the news itself has significantly declined.

The former image that “what the journalist says is true” has unfortunately been destroyed, as a result of financial pressure and the intentional spread of misinformation.

We all know that where there is no economic independence, there can be no free press.

Providing reliable and independent information in the public interest is directly linked to financial autonomy.

Therefore, financial independence of the media is not just important—it is essential.

At the same time, we are aware that media organizations intentionally spreading disinformation have severely shaken public trust in the media.

This reality, in turn, opens the door—either positively or negatively—to financial consequences.

And we all know very well that media lacking credibility, or journalists and writers who serve false information, will find neither readers nor listeners.

The truth is this: today’s journalist may live in more comfort, but does not enjoy the respect and credibility that yesterday’s journalist once held.

Let me also note this: the coming wave of artificial intelligence will certainly unmask journalists who produce manipulative or false reports.

Just as it is vital for our press institutions to be reliable, they must also strive to be optimistic.

Before I conclude, I would like to address one more critical threat to journalism—beyond financial independence:

That threat is the physical attacks on our journalists—even their killings.

This must be stopped—without question.
It is a painful reality standing in the way of reliable and optimistic journalism.

With the hope that such tragedies come to an end, and that journalists, reporters, writers, producers, presenters, and all those behind the scenes—those who work tirelessly in written, visual, and digital media—become respected, trusted, optimistic, and recognized figures on the international stage,

I greet you all with my highest regards.

Eldor Tulyakov and Dr. Akkan Suver