Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Yeni Medya Elektronik Dergisi, cilt.10, sa.3, ss.40-55, 2026 (Hakemli Dergi)
The emergence of mass communication theories coincided with a historical period in which nation-states were being formed, economic crises destabilized existing political structures, and new ideological movements reshaped public life. The 1930s, marked by the effects of the Great Depression, created an environment in which liberal democracy, free-market economics and traditional political institutions were widely questioned. For newly established states such as the Republic of Turkey, this crisis was not only an external development but also a catalyst for redefining national identity, economic policy and the communicative tools required to support modernization. Within this context, the Kadro Journal (1932–1934) emerged as an intellectual attempt to conceptualize Turkey’s development strategy and to articulate an ideological framework for the early Republic. Kadro’s appearance coincided with the transition from the “Powerful Media Effects” phase to the early discussions of “Limited Effects.” While many countries experienced propaganda-oriented mass communication during this period, Kadro differed by positioning itself not merely as a publication but as a movement attempting to guide state ideology. Its writers—many of whom had previously engaged with socialist thought—proposed a “third way” between liberal capitalism and orthodox Marxism, emphasizing statism, national independence and the unequal global relationship between developed and underdeveloped nations. This placed Kadro at the intersection of political economy and communication, where media served as both an analytical tool and an instrument for shaping public consciousness. Analyzing Kadro in this historical moment therefore offers a valuable perspective on how media functioned as part of nation-building projects. It demonstrates how communication platforms contributed to the formation of political agendas, how intellectual elites acted as opinion leaders, and how mass communication theories can be re-evaluated through the lens of early Republican Turkey.