National Awards
Named Digital Journalist of the Year in 2018 and Digital Columnist of the Year in 2017 by the Turkish Journalists' Association.
Short Bio
Two decades at the crossroads of media, technology & science
I worked as an editor and executive at one of the largest media groups in Europe for more than 10 years, leading digital content strategy and user engagement at Turkey's biggest newsroom.
In 2019, I studied media sustainability at Harvard University as a visiting fellow supported by the Knight Foundation and the Nieman Foundation.
I served as a Vice-Chair and Executive Board member of the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) from 2021 to 2024 — the first Turkish journalist in that role since Abdi İpekçi in the 1970s.
As a 2024–25 Technology & Human Rights Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Carr-Ryan Center, I researched "Surveillance Capitalism or Democracy: Who Knows, Who Decides?"
In 2025, I completed my Ph.D. at Galatasaray University with the dissertation "The Algorithmic Veil: Affective Trust, AI Blind Spots, and the Design of Human-Centered News Ranking," and I taught "Introduction to AI in Media and Communication" at Turkey's top communication school for four semesters.
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Journey
From the newsroom floor to executive leadership
2003
Editor, Foreign News Service, Hürriyet
Joined Europe's one of largest media groups; rose to Chief Editor of the Foreign News Service (2008–2014) and also served as a digital columnist for over a decade.
2015
Managing Editor of Digital Content, Hürriyet
Led digital transformation, content strategy and user engagement at Turkey's leading outlet — 1,000+ employees, 35 million unique monthly visitors.
2018
Executive Editor, Hürriyet Daily News
Named Digital Journalist of the Year by the Turkish Journalists' Association, and recognized by multiple international media awards.
2019
Knight Visiting Nieman Fellow, Harvard University
Selected by Harvard to study media sustainability in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Began managing Journo (2019–2025), the EU-supported nonprofit news platform, and lecturing at Galatasaray University.
2021
Vice-Chair, International Press Institute
Elected to the global executive board of the Vienna-based IPI, a network defending press freedom in nearly 100 countries (until 2024).
2024
Tech & Human Rights Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School
Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights Policy fellowship on surveillance capitalism, AI and democracy.
2025
Ph.D., Galatasaray University
"The Algorithmic Veil: Affective Trust, AI Blind Spots, and the Design of Human-Centered News Ranking" (Click to download the thesis). Research spanning HCI, AI ethics and epistemic justice.
Work in Brief
Selected highlights
International Recognition
Including "Best Practice" in video by INMA in 2017 and ranked among the world's best data visualizations by Sigma Awards in 2022.
Digital Transformation
Directed the digital restructuring and product strategy for one of Europe's largest media groups in collaboration with Axel Springer SE, optimizing workflows for more than 1,000 employees and scaling operations.
Teaching AI & Media
Taught "Introduction to AI for Media and Communication" at Galatasaray University for four semesters (2024–2026) and delivered lectures at dozens of industry panels and seminars.
Policy Contributions
Contributed to the UK CDEI report on AI & misinformation and OSCE's 2025 policy manual on media freedom, platforms and AI.
Global Speaker
Featured at dozens of international events — RightsCon, the International Journalism Festival, and seminars at the European Parliament.
On Screen
Publications
Selected reports & research
I wrote features and op-eds for Nieman Reports, Chatham House's The World Today, and Al-Monitor. My academic research spans urban environments, virtual spaces, digital platforms, mobile apps and large language models.
“I believe in the future.”
More
Beyond the byline
- Contributor to the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council.
- Peer reviewer for the HKS Misinformation Review.
- Member of the GitHub Developer Program, the Coalition for Independent Technology Research, and the Inclusion+ international R&D team.
- Managed multidisciplinary teams of 5 to 200+ people — digital transformation, audience analytics, recommendation engines.
Certificates & professional courses
- IBM · AI Apps with Python & Flask
- MIT · Design Thinking
- Northwestern Medill · Content Strategy
- IIBA · Predictive Analytics
- Alteryx · Advanced Analytics
- IAB · Digital Marketing
- IVLP · TAIEX · NATO · OSCE programs
As long as my children let me, I like taking long walks, reading Ottoman poetry, watching indie films, listening to Tom Waits, and playing Europa Universalis. Not simultaneously, if possible.
