On January 11th, Morgan graduate and former PawPrint Reporter Can Yucel visited Journalism. Can shared stories about his recent endeavors, including attending school in Ireland, working with reporters at the United Nations, working with a political party in Turkey, and much more.
Can is currently attending Dublin City University in Ireland, where he studies International Relations and Economics. After his time attending high school in the United States, Can decided he wanted to study overseas. He finds it much easier to get around in Europe and feels there is more to do. He also noted that earning a degree in Ireland takes 3 years in Ireland, compared to the 4 years it takes to earn the same degree in the United States. The tuition is also less expensive. He likes the international presence there is. In the United States, the majority of students tend to be American, but in Ireland the majority of students are international. He finds this allows for diverse discussions with different viewpoints. He noted that many students hold very nationalist views, and they tend to support their country or culture regardless, which leads to heated debates. Adjustment between European and American schools is not new for Can, having spent time at schools in Turkey and Italy growing up, before coming to the United States for his senior year.
After graduating from Morgan, Can returned home to Turkey for the summer. Prior to the start of the school year in Dublin, he visited the United States briefly, where he worked with a Turkish reporter to cover the United Nations General Assembly in September. He explained how this experience was beneficial, as he was able to give the reporter some help in a busy time. It allowed him to gain valuable experience while covering something he was genuinely interested in. Despite attending school in Ireland, Can still goes “home” to Turkey, at least once a month, for work. He is currently working part-time as an advisor for local politicians. His team focuses on international topics and how they affect Turkey. Currently, he is covering the war in Israel, and preparing for an upcoming local election. He mentioned how it is very hard to express any views in support of Israel, as Turkey is a very pro-Palestine country. Can explained how the media in Turkey is mostly government-controlled, and the small percentage of media outlets that are independent still express the same views.
Can spoke to the class about some of the differences he has noticed from his time traveling all over the world. He mentioned how much nicer most things are in the US, both physically and metaphorically. He said that people in the US tend to take what they have for granted, and do not realize how good they have it. Specifically, he spoke about the freedom of expression in the US compared to countries such as Turkey. While speaking about the difficulties covering the war in Israel, he elaborated on how Turkey has one of the highest rates of incarcerated journalists in the world. Although there are no formal restrictions on what can be published, if it does not align with the government’s views, there will be consequences. Can said, “You could publish pro-Nazi [content], and they would be fine with that, but if it’s against the government, they will knock down your door at 5 a.m. and take you away.”
Can was recently accepted for an internship in Turkey, working for Fox News, where he will be working behind the scenes to help produce the morning news. Can stressed that Fox News in Turkey is very different from the conservative Fox News Americans are used to. Unfortunately, as of March 13th, 2024, Fox News pulled out of Turkey meaning Can will no longer be able to complete the internship.
Can’s visit provided journalism students with a unique global perspective, and highlighted some of the skills needed to succeed, not only in the field of journalism, but also after high school in general. Can also took the opportunity to share some of his work from his time writing for the PawPrint. The PawPrint’s most popular article covered the differences between European schools and American schools, and was written by Can in 2021. It remains at the top of the trending page, even today.
Take a look at some of Can’s work on the PawPrint:
Updated on 3/13/2024
