Agencies' unity brings awareness to media

Board Chairman and Director General of Anadolu Agency (AA) and the President of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), Kemal Ozturk stated on Friday that the unity has played role in uniting the agencies in the region and bringing awareness and activism to the news, since its foundation. Speaking in the technical meeting of OANA in Istanbul, in which internet revolution was high on the agenda, Ozturk stated that OANA's website is important in terms of its view from outside and sharing of news material and practices. "In these circumstances, I would like to tell you a few words about the internet transition. There is a transforming media sector in the world and this is harming the printed media day by day. Examples of USA and UK put clearly forth the internet revolution. 154 newspaper in USA and 32 in UK were closed in last eight years. Smart phones have become the biggest instruments in internet revolution. Now, people follow the news on these phones," he said. "I believe that this internet revolution in media will take necessary precautions as reflection of the agencies in the world and that it will be more effective than it was in the past. We, together, need to support the sharing of news material on our website and develop the bright image of our unity". Ozturk said he believes that the 15th OANA General Meeting in Moscow, to take place in September, will be as colorful as the one in Tokyo. The Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) was formed in 1961 on the initiative of UNESCO to secure direct and free exchange of news between the news agencies of a region inhabited by more than one half of the world's population. OANA members are responsible for two-thirds of information circulated throughout the world, including Turkish AA, having been founded on April 6, 1920, 17 days before the Turkish Grand National Assembly convened first time. The Anadolu Agency helped announce the first legislation by the Assembly that established the Republic which works with its 49 national and 27 international offices all around the world.