Why WPI Fellowship really matters
“Be careful. Why are they funding this trip, covering all your expenses, plus giving you extra money? What is their aim? I am just warning you as a friend to be skeptical.” This was what a prominent Turkish author, who also happens to be my friend, told me when I...How incarcerated people are starting over in San Quentin
I became fascinated by the American criminal and justice systems as a teenager, thanks to my sister Raliya who introduced me to the books of lawyer turned writer John Grisham. My sister was a law student, so she was understandably into books with legal themes....
My many firsts in the land of the First Amendment
When I applied for the World Press Institute fellowship, I knew I would travel through the United States alongside nine other journalists from different countries to meet policy makers, politicians, journalists and media executives. I also knew we would be immersing...
Reflections of a Turkish journalist on the role of the press and disinformation
The Turkish mainstream media and general population view American media as intrinsically hostile to Turkey, to its government and to its people. It’s as if The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and any other media institution is in constant search for an excuse...