Bilge Yesil

Bilge Yesil is a Professor of Media Culture at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York (CUNY), and an affiliate faculty member in Middle Eastern Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center. She holds a PhD from New York University in Media, Culture, and Communication and an MA in Media and Cultural Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Her research focuses on global media systems, particularly within authoritarian and neoliberal contexts, with special attention to surveillance, media ownership, regulation, and Turkey’s strategic positioning in global communication. She has authored influential books such as Video Surveillance: Power and Privacy in Everyday Life (2009), Media in New Turkey (2016), and Talking Back to the West (2024), and co-edited The Handbook of Media and Culture in the Middle East (2023).

Her recent publications reflect a strong interdisciplinary focus on political communication, media power, and transnational media strategies. These works explore themes such as global communication hierarchies, digital authoritarianism, media diplomacy, and the political economy of information. She is actively involved in international research projects including the Civilizationism Project and the Global Media & Internet Concentration Project.

Her scholarly contributions have been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Fulbright Program, PSC-CUNY, and the Graduate Center. She is a frequent contributor to international media, with commentary featured on Al Jazeera English, Democracy Now, and BBC Radio 5.

Scientific Awards and Research Support:

• Fulbright Program
• National Science Foundation
• PSC-CUNY Research Award
• Graduate Center Research Support

Academic Engagement:

Prior to her current position, Dr. Yesil taught at New York University, Sabancı University, and The New School, demonstrating a broad international academic footprint. She mentors graduate students and is involved in interdisciplinary research collaborations. She is also engaged in public scholarship, bridging academic research with public discourse through media appearances and public lectures.

Research Initiatives:

She is a core member of two major international research collaborations: the Civilizationism Project, which examines identity-based political movements in global media, and the Global Media & Internet Concentration Project, which analyzes media ownership and digital platform power.