Resumé
Experience
Video Journalist
New York, NY
Feb. 2017 – Present
I light, shoot and edit journalistic and commercial projects. Filmed a short documentary in Southeastern Turkey with a Davis Projects for Peace grant.
CNN Turk
Istanbul, Turkey
Oct. 2012 – July 2015
On-Air Reporter: Covered the first Turkish presidential election and the war in Kobani. Wrote for CNNTurk.com. (4 months)
Documentary Reporter: Pitched and produced 45-minute documentaries for a weekly show. Reported and directed camera crews for the episodes about the Ukraine crisis, the Turkish defense industry, and for the first in-depth documentary on the Gezi Protests. (2 years)
Editor: Produced and edited a daily science show. Wrote news stories from the Reuters Innovation feed. Interviewed professors and doctors. Gathered data for our in-depth analyses on topics ranging from swine flu to deep space exploration. (6 months)
Mzungu Sleeping
Istanbul, Turkey
Jan. 2010 – July 2012
Writer/ Producer: Wrote a feature-length fiction screenplay about an African orphanage. The screenplay was a semi-finalist at the 2013 Sundance Screenwriters Lab.
Brose Auto Parts Manufacturing
Hallstadt, Germany
Oct. 2009 – July 2010
Management Trainee: Supported the Ford Motor Company customer team, production planning and controlling departments. Built an excel-based price estimator for Ford window assembly projects. Attended leadership training with the CEO.
The International Humanity Foundation
Nakuru, Kenya
Mar. 2009 – June 2009
Volunteer: Co-Managed an under-funded orphanage housing 112 children. Upon noticing fundamental ethical and legal problems, exposed the American 501(c). IHF Nakuru Center was shut down after two years.
Education
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
New York, NY
Aug. 2015 – Dec. 2016
Master of Science
Coursework includes: Advanced Video Seminar and Investigating Campaign Finance
Produced, shot and edited a documentary master's project about the impact of incarceration on families left behind. Wrote an extensive profile on Fethullah Gulen, a Pennsylvania resident who has been accused of orchestrating the 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkey. Three months prior to the attempt, the article was published on Al-Monitor, the online magazine, in four languages. Reuters World News liveblog and Vox have referenced my Gulen profile.
Honors in Law of Journalism and Audience Engagement
Yale University
New Haven, CT Aug. 2004 – May 2008
Bachelor of Arts, Economics
Skills
Language: Turkish (native), German (intermediate)
Software: Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, iNews, Microsoft Office
Equipment: Canon C100, GoPro