The digitalization of the local press and changing journalism practices: The case of Gümüşhane

This study, conducted on the new journalism processes shaped by the digital transformation of the local press, aims to analyze the structural and functional impacts of this transformation through the lens of changing journalistic practices in the province of Gümüşhane. In this research, the transition from traditional to digital publishing is treated not merely as a change of technical tools, but as a sociological, economic, and ethical transformation process that dictates all stages of news from its kitchen to its delivery to the reader. In line with this objective, semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of Kuşakkaya, Gümüşkoza, Gümüşhane Olay, Gümüşkent, Gündem, Şiran Gündem, and Gümüşhane Ekspres newspapers, which actively continue their publishing activities in the center and districts of Gümüşhane. The findings reveal that journalistic practices in the Gümüşhane local press are undergoing a structural rupture from the field to the desk, from meaning-oriented to data-oriented, and from a reader-centric focus to algorithmic structures. The new order brought about by digitalization and the Basın İlan Kurumu (BİK - Directorate of Press Advertisement) quotas has transformed the traditional local journalist’s role from an “intellectual laborer” into a “content laborer.” While the increasing preference for secondary sources, such as WhatsApp groups, in news production weakens editorial independence, the use of artificial intelligence also brings the risk of standardizing the local journalistic language. On the other hand, the narratives of the Gümüşhane local press representatives—including newspaper owners who sold personal assets to pay off printing debts despite deep economic crises—demonstrate that while local press struggles to survive under the pressure of digitalization, it still maintains its resilience to protect professional values. Consequently, through its conclusions, this study aims to fill the gap in the relevant literature by offering solutions for the digital future of the provincial press.