Reflections of Anti-Migration Discourse on Digital Media in Disadvantaged Times: February 6th Türkiye Earthquake on Digital Media
Understanding of the Digital Era: Unveiling the Dark Sides of Technology, Betül Önay Doğan,Turgay Yerlikaya,Hasrina Mustafa, Editör, Istanbul University Press, İstanbul, ss.17-34, 2025
- Yayın Türü: Kitapta Bölüm / Diğer
- Basım Tarihi: 2025
- Doi Numarası: 10.26650/b/ssc5.2025.016.003
- Yayınevi: Istanbul University Press
- Basıldığı Şehir: İstanbul
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.17-34
- Editörler: Betül Önay Doğan,Turgay Yerlikaya,Hasrina Mustafa, Editör
- İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
To highlight the disadvantaged positions experienced by migrants during certain historical moments, this study introduces the concept of “disadvantaged times.” These are periods when anti-migration discourses intensify, reinforcing the marginalization of migrants. To explore this, literature and digital media reports on hate speech targeting migrants during the early stages of the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş Earthquake were analyzed. To assess whether this disadvantaged period had ended, comments on 40 Instagram posts each from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change and AFAD were examined. These posts, related to the earthquake and including commemorative content, were published between February 6 and March 23, 2024 (AFAD) and February 6 and June 20, 2024 (the Ministry). These institutions were chosen due to their central roles in earthquake response and recovery. A total of 2,335 comments were analyzed. The findings indicate that the disadvantaged status observed during the earthquake gradually reverted to earlier patterns, confirming the earthquake period as a “disadvantaged time.” Additionally, the study reveals that digital media, particularly disinformation, played a crucial role in shaping this period. Thus, disinformation emerges as a key factor that amplifies the marginalization of migrants during disadvantaged times.