Türkiye's statistical agency, the Turkish Statistical Institute, revealed a significant decline in the number of newspapers and magazines during 2022.

According to their latest report, there was a 9.2% decrease in the total count of publications, bringing the number down to 4,048.

Of the publications recorded, a substantial portion, 53.9%, consisted of magazines, while the rest were newspapers. Moreover, the total annual circulation of newspapers and magazines experienced an 8.3% drop in 2022 compared to the previous year.

The Turkish Statistical Institute's data provides valuable insights into the country's media landscape, indicating changes in reading habits and publishing trends. The decrease in circulation figures may raise concerns among media outlets and publishers, prompting them to explore new strategies to engage readers and maintain relevance in the evolving digital age.

In terms of publication frequency, the report highlighted that 28.1% of newspapers were published two to six times a week, 25.8% were weekly, and 19.7% were monthly. For magazines, 21.3% were published quarterly, 20.9% were monthly, and 17.2% were biannually.

Interestingly, 17.6% of magazines catered to sector-specific and professional content, while 14.0% focused on academic subjects, and 8.6% covered literature and history. In contrast, the majority of newspapers, 90.8%, featured political, news, and current affairs content.

Additionally, the report revealed a noteworthy increase in official announcement and advertising fees. The Press Announcement Agency reported that in 2022, official announcements related to executions, tenders, notifications, and employee recruitment, as well as advertisements by institutions, surged by 56.1%. The total cost of these advertisements in newspapers and magazines amounted to 956 million 063 thousand 833 Turkish Lira.

The literary scene in Türkiye also saw changes in 2022. The total number of published materials, including books and electronic media, decreased by 4.1%, with a total of 83,653 ISBNs issued. Education-related topics accounted for the largest share of publications at 24.2%, followed by adult fiction at 19.9%, and academic publications at 20.7%.

As Türkiye's media landscape continues to evolve, stakeholders will closely monitor these trends and explore innovative ways to adapt to the changing preferences of readers and consumers. (ILKHA)