Hürriyet’s social platform 'a revolution,’ says chairwoman

ISTANBUL

Vuslat Sabancı Doğan speaks during an event on media in Istanbul on May 28.

The new interactive social media platform launched by Hürriyet’s news website is a “revolution for media outlets,” chairwoman Vuslat Doğan Sabancı has said.

The platform allows users to create their own customized feeds and push their favorite stories into the headlines section on the website, features that break the monopoly of “control and power” held by traditional media, according to Doğan Sabancı.

“The new world is the exact opposite of the old one: It passes through while not being afraid of losing control and power. As of today, we are creating content together with our readers and are sharing control with them on the ‘Hürriyet Social’ platform. This is a revolution for a media outlet, particularly for a brand that has been the leader of its sector for 66 years,” she said during Media Summit event in Istanbul on May 28.

300,000 users in two weeks

Doğan Sabancı stressed that within two weeks, 300,000 people had already signed up to the social platform, adding that this social base will engage editors and journalists in a unique kind of interaction as a response to a plea particularly voiced during last year’s Gezi protests.

“There are some moments that change the course of things. During the Gezi protests, a voice within social media said we could not remain as strong as we were if we did not include and listen to the reader,” said Doğan Sabancı, emphasizing that the group was transitioning to an interactive and participative stage.

“Sharing has a very important place among our values. And we at Hürriyet have listened to this voice with our ears wide-open. We have lifted the immunity of old and established concepts, then redefined them one by one,” she said.

Around 150 news categories are created and being fed by the up-to-date Hürriyet content, including text, photos and videos, all served through a user-friendly, cutting-edge interface, seamlessly integrated with popular social networks, including Facebook and Twitter.

Doğan Sabancı stressed that the platform was the first-of-its-kind, based on an “original and indigenous” idea. “As far as I know, this is a service that no other media provides. But I am certain we will see similar features in the coming years,” she said.