Technocratic Crisis Management and Spectatorship in Ahmet Emin Yalman’s 1919 Editorials
Abstract
This study examines Ahmet Emin Yalman’s 1919 editorials published in Vakit during the Ottoman Armistice period. The article aims to examine how Ahmet Emin Yalman interpreted political crisis, public participation, and national reconstruction during the Ottoman Armistice period. Using Critical Discourse Analysis informed by the Discourse-Historical Approach, six editorials are analyzed. The analysis is limited to six editorials published in 1919, selected as representative interventions during a critical moment of political transition. Findings indicate that Yalman framed crisis primarily as a problem of administration, coordination, and collective learning. Journalism emerges as a guiding institution that interprets events, organizes public understanding, and promotes adaptation under conditions of uncertainty. Political conflict is represented through narratives emphasizing observation, moderation, and elite coordination, and opposition is incorporated into a regulated public sphere. The study concludes that Yalman articulated an early form of managerial communication grounded in expert guidance, administrative rationality, and social stabilization. The article contributes to journalism history by offering a new perspective on the relationship between journalistic authority, political order, and crisis management in the late Ottoman public sphere.
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Journalism
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Publication Date
September 4, 2026
Submission Date
May 27, 2026
Acceptance Date
August 4, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Number: 32