The Presidency's Directorate of Communications organised the Disaster Journalism Training Panel on December 2, 2025. The Presidency's Head of Communications, Prof. Burhanettin Duran, and the Head of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), Ali Hamza Pehlivan, delivered the opening speeches at the panel.
Highlighting the significance of the panel in his opening speech, Presidency's Head of Communications Prof. Burhanettin Duran emphasised that the Directorate of Communications is working with all its might to strengthen and further develop Türkiye's communication ecosystem in line with the vision of "Century of Türkiye: Century of Communication" set forth by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
"A media system that is human-centred and justice-oriented, serves the public good, and has high standards is indispensable for us," Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran said. He stated that they strive to contribute to the practice and theory of communication through the publications and training videos they make, as well as the various seminars, meetings, and events they organise. Head of Communications Duran also noted that they are developing new grounds for cooperation, adding, "I would like to point out that today's panel is notable in that regard. This panel will yield significant insights regarding disaster journalism."
Stating that they continuously work to guide media professionals and aspiring journalists on disaster journalism and that they will undertake new projects in the coming period, Duran continued as follows: "I particularly attach importance to developing a disaster journalism curriculum that is internationally recognised as part of the current project. I consider the book 'Disaster Journalism,' prepared in five languages within this same framework, to be extremely valuable. We will share this book with you. I hope it will be of benefit to both our students and our teacher, as well as to all media professionals pursuing this knowledge. The case studies and recommendations included in this book, which is structured around the themes of practice, ethics and safety, will provide indispensable contributions."
Disaster Journalism discussed across three sessions from different perspectives
The Disaster Journalism Training Panel, attended by media representatives, academics, executives from public institutions, and experts from both domestic and international backgrounds, addressed the importance of accurate reporting during disasters, ethical principles, security dimensions, and the impact of technology on journalism.
The first session of the three-part panel on Disaster Journalism discussed "Ethical Issues in Disaster Journalism". In the session moderated by Deniz Güler, Deputy President of the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), Assoc. Prof. Bahar Kayıhan, Faculty Member at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, Kerem Kocalar, Anadolu Agency Gaziantep Regional Director, and Fuat Kozluklu, TRT Haber Anchor, offered insights both from an academic perspective and practical field experience.
Assoc. Prof. Bora Bayraktar, Head of the Department of Strategic Communication and Crisis Management at the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, moderated the second session, in which Prof. Javier Abuín-Penas, Faculty Member at the University of Vigo, Kubilay Özyurt, AFAD Press and Public Relations Counsellor, and Prof. Fatma Neval Genç, Faculty Member at Aydın Adnan Menderes University, discussed the “Importance of Safety in Disaster Journalism” from different perspectives.
The panel's concluding session, "Use of Technology in Disaster Journalism," assessed the contribution of digital applications and new technology tools to disaster journalism. The session moderated by Prof. Abdulkadir Gölcü, Faculty Member at Selçuk University, featured Harun Arpacı, Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) Press Counsellor, Dr. Özkan Avcı, Faculty Member at Bartın University, and Beatriz Nestar Bueno, Journalist and Social Media Manager, as speakers.
The programme also included an interactive panel discussion with question-and-answer sessions and audience participation, as well as an exhibition of photographs from disasters throughout the world.
Disaster Journalism: Preventing the News from Turning into a Disaster
The Disaster Journalism Training Panel was held as part of the project titled "Preventing the News from Turning into a Disaster" carried out in collaboration with the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), Konya Metropolitan Municipality, the University of Primorska in Slovenia, Kyiv University in Ukraine, and the University of Vigo in Spain, with the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications as a stakeholder and Selçuk University Faculty of Communication as the lead institution. The project aims to develop an internationally recognised Disaster Journalism curriculum and course materials for faculties of communication, as well as training guides for media professionals.
