The documentary screening of “40 Years of Health Journalism in Turkey” with Esra Kazancıbaşı Öztekin, organized in collaboration with Istinye University and Liv Hospital, took place at the Vadi Main Campus Conference Hall. Starting with a classical music recital, the event continued with the documentary screening. During the event, Meri İstroti, Liv Hospital Group Coordinator and Istinye University Executive Board Member, and Prof. Dr. Erkan İbiş, Rector of Istinye University, gave opening speeches.
In her opening speech before the documentary screening, Meri İstroti discussed the information pollution in today’s health journalism. She emphasized the need to learn from the past and specialize in health journalism in this globalized era. Prof. Dr. Erkan İbiş explained the importance of preserving and sharing universal human values to be a stakeholder of humanity: “Atatürk expressed that our Republic needs strong intellectual, scientific, and physical guardians. This highlights the importance of health. Esra Kazancıbaşı has worked primarily as a Republican woman in health journalism,” emphasizing the societal importance of health journalism and solid ethical values.
The documentary answers many questions about the health sector:
- How did health journalists access information and news before the internet, computers, and mobile phones?
- How has the media's view of health journalism changed from the 1980s, when Turkey first encountered the AIDS case, and fake dentists threatened public health?
- How did the opening of private TV channels and large private hospitals in the 1990s affect the media’s perspective on health topics?
- How reliable are the internet, digitalization, and artificial intelligence in health-related issues? What dangers lie ahead in the future of health-related topics for society, patients, and their families?
- How do issues in the employment of health journalists reflect on public health?
- What responsibilities do newspapers, television, and digital media have in increasing health literacy?
- What advice does Esra Kazancıbaşı Öztekin, who has been a health journalist for 40 years, have for young people pursuing their dream careers?
The documentary “40 Years of Health Journalism in Turkey” with the veteran health journalist Esra Kazancıbaşı Öztekin addresses all these questions and illustrates the transformation of health journalism.
Produced by Sağlık Adası Medya and directed by Şerif Ekit, the documentary features 17 speakers, including health journalists, doctors, journalists, health administrators, and former and current health ministers. Interviews were conducted with prominent figures in the sector, including:
Sibel Güneş (Former President of the Association of Health and Education Journalists and General Secretary of the Journalists’ Association), Kadriye Yılmaz (Former Health Journalist at Hürriyet), Ayla Özer (Former health journalist - Head of Health, Culture, and Sports Department at Biruni University), Demet Demirkır (Health and Education Editor at HaberTürk), Şerif Ekit (Coordinator of Sağlığım İçin Herşey Website, YouTube Channel, and TV Program), Okan Sarıkaya (Editor-in-Chief at Yeni Birlik Newspaper), Ceren Şenyurt Yalgın (Program Director at ATV Europe), Prof. Dr. Serap Aykut Aka (Head of Cardiovascular Surgery Clinic at Dr. Siyami Ersek Chest, Heart, and Vascular Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Ministry of Health), Prof. Dr. Hasan İlkova (President of Turkish Diabetes Society), Prof. Dr. Emre Akkuş (Chair of Urology Department at Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty), Dr. Reşat Bahat (President of Private Hospitals and Health Organizations Association), Yaşar Yıldırım (Health Management Consultant), Meri İstroti (Liv Hospital Group Manager), Mehmet Ali Aydınlar (Chairman of the Board at Acıbadem Healthcare Group), Bülent Akarcalı (Former Health Minister), Prof. Dr. Kemal Memişoğlu (Health Minister), and Esra Kazancıbaşı Öztekin (Specialized Health Journalist).
The documentary emphasizes the vital value of health journalism, which prioritizes public health. By reporting useful, protective, and accurate information, health journalism increases health literacy in society and translates medical terminology into everyday language, providing significant service to the community. Kazancıbaşı, who prioritizes public health with idealistic values in her work, conveys those times when responsible health journalism prevailed, putting citizens first.
The documentary highlights the dangers of sensationalized health news and the information pollution in the internet age, which threaten public health. It emphasizes the importance of adhering to ethical values that prioritize public health and services in health journalism. When used as a profit tool, health journalism can spread unverified news and publications, posing a significant threat to public health.
Health literacy, especially with the advent of artificial intelligence in today’s internet and technology age, is essential for filtering news. Competent health journalism serves as a bridge between the healthcare sector and citizens, translating the language of health. It is becoming increasingly important for citizens' rights and the protection of public health.
At the end of the documentary, Esra Kazancıbaşı Öztekin and those who began their careers in health journalism were invited to the stage one by one. Receiving flowers from young colleagues, Esra Kazancıbaşı Öztekin expressed, “Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to create 360-degree projects in health. As you can see, I have a large family in health journalism, thanks to my career as a specialized journalist in health. Some of them are like siblings to me, some like children.”
She continued, “Journalism is a love. Journalism for public health is an immortal love. In my career, I have been a managing editor, TV program producer, host, and columnist. But I have always been proud to be a health journalist first. Producing news for public health always made me much happier than writing about a politician’s unfulfilled promises or a businessman’s wealth.”
