We are in the middle of a transformation in the media world. Google has created a crisis in Turkish media due to an algorithm change. In recent days, there have been allegations that Google is “killing the opposition media and local press.” Turkish internet publishers issued a statement saying, “We protest against Google’s destructive embargo.” The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the opposition took the issue to Parliament. However, things are not at all as they are portrayed. This is more than an algorithm update. We are facing the new face of digital monopolization.
Algorithms have become the most important actors in directing news and journalism. Moreover, we, members of the media, have turned a blind eye to this situation in order to be accessible to more people. In doing so, we have sacrificed the quality of journalism and news writing techniques for the sake of algorithms. When writing news, our first thought is no longer “Is this news accurate, important, valuable for society?” Now, it is, “Will this news rank high on Google?” There is only one rule now: Write news with techniques that will stand out on Google!
Surrendering to algorithms
When the internet entered our lives in 1995, none of us could have imagined how an American company would shape our media content in the future. We were excited as Turkish newspapers launched their websites one by one in the early 2000s. The internet was seen as a new medium that would facilitate access to information.
Over time, our websites became billboards. We found the way to keep our readers on our sites was to hide the information they were looking for. Topics, headings and keywords in line with Google search trends were the main things that needed to be done to attract more people to the website.
On the other hand, the people who came to the website needed to spend more time on the website. Here, too, we came across the situation of news writing becoming anything but news with all the other objectives. The more time you spend on the website, the more ads Google shows, and that means more money. For this reason, readers had to go all the way to the end of the text to find the answer to a topic you were curious about or the answer to the question you were looking for. Over time, even more manipulative techniques developed. Readers could no longer find the answer they were looking for on the website.
It is painful that we are compromising our journalistic principles in order to adapt to Google’s terms. This was not only an industry compromise, but also a departure from social responsibility. As a news website manager, I strive to avoid having to instruct my teammates to “write the way Google wants.”
Missed chance
This transformation of media and journalism was not a process that the whole world ignored. Starting in the 2010s, news websites around the world started working on different models. Giants like the New York Times were successful with their freemium model. They first offered free access for a certain number of times and then protected their content with a subscription system.
This model quickly gained mass support and was adopted by other newspapers. Important publications such as The Washington Post, The Guardian and Der Spiegel switched to similar systems. Over time, different models emerged and became widespread. Now, access to news on a global scale has become primarily monetized.
This has started to apply to Türkiye as well. A few news websites have begun to implement paid models. However, many news sites in Türkiye continue to produce content based on Google algorithms. This is why Google’s algorithm change has been devastating for news sites in Türkiye.
Unlike in the West, alternative financing models have not been developed in Türkiye. Our readers have become accustomed to free content, and we have failed to instill this habit in them. Now, an entire media industry is being shaken by an algorithm change by an American company. This is an unacceptable relationship of dependency.
Destructive impact of updates
In fact, Google periodically updates its platform and search algorithms every year. Even minor updates in recent years have caused serious problems in the traffic flow of news websites. In August 2024, after what it described as a “core update,” the structure of “Google News” and “Google Discover” changed and news sites experienced serious declines in search traffic.
Google acknowledged the problems caused by the update and announced that they had been resolved. However, with the new update in the first month of 2025, news websites faced a major traffic crisis again. According to statistics, some news sites saw their traffic drop by as much as 70%. This is a death sentence for a news site that relies on advertising.
Years ago, when Google made a similar update, even big news sites got into a predicament of almost being closed down. For this reason, although Google has not yet made a statement about the new updates, we can think that it has switched to a system that emphasizes original content instead of texts written with SEO techniques.
In fact, in the past, various media professionals have stated that Google updates should be followed closely. However, at this point, statements such as “censorship” and “Google wants to end the opposition media” came to the fore. Instead of defining the problem correctly, these statements politicize the problem and distract from the solution.
Will regulations be enough?
Hüseyin Yayman, chairperson of the Digital Media Commission of Parliament, stated that “Google should be transparent about algorithm changes and show a fair approach to publishers. Anti-competitive practices should be put an end to, and news websites of all views should be given equal opportunity in the field of discovery.”
Although journalism is undergoing a transformation in the new media world managed by Google with algorithms, it is necessary to prevent its monopolization. For this reason, it is also important to bring it to the parliamentary agenda. However, the real work in terms of the transformation of journalism lies with journalists and readers.
Call to journalists, readers
The future of news is too valuable to be left at Google’s mercy. Eight Turkish internet publishers have issued a call to “Read the news on the internet not through Google, but directly on the websites you read. Support independent media by breaking this secret embargo! If you have the means, contribute to the media organizations you follow by subscribing or donating to them.”
This call is vital for the future of journalism. Readers should make it a habit to reach the news source directly. This is necessary not only to support independent journalism, but also to have access to a better quality and manipulation-free news flow.
To sustain independent journalism, subscription systems should be supported and readers should contribute according to their ability to pay. We must accept that quality journalism comes at a price. The free content model makes us dependent on platforms like Google and undermines our editorial independence.
We journalists should focus on producing quality content without falling into the SEO trap. We must remember that what Google gives today can be taken away tomorrow. Instead of writing news according to the algorithm, we should produce content according to journalistic standards. We need to return to informative, accurate, and in-depth journalism that respects the reader.
More importantly, as Turkish media, we need to develop our own digital platforms and search engines and gain digital independence. A national news platform can be created. As in the West, media organizations can come together to develop joint subscription systems.
Threat of AI
Although Google algorithms seem to be our biggest problem today, the rapid development of artificial intelligence will pose greater threats in the coming years. How will the future of our profession be shaped when artificial intelligence becomes a force that produces, organizes and distributes news? We should think about the answer to this question now and make our preparations.
In the very near future, AI-based algorithms may control all processes from news selection to distribution. How will independent journalism and diversity of opinion be protected? The problems we face today in the face of the Google algorithm may be much greater in the future in the face of artificial intelligence.
As a result, we need to go back to producing content based on journalistic principles, not on Google’s terms. Otherwise, we will be forced to watch the collapse of the entire Turkish media with the algorithm change of an American company.