Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Communication Faculty, New Media and Journalism Department student Hatice Melisa Santürk and, Cinema and Television Department graduate Sadık Tevfik Kayrakçı’s documentary on Cyprus Mines Corporation (CMC) mine dumps took the second place in the Turkey Journalists’ Society (TJS) Aydın Doğan Young Communicators Competition.
In the project carried out under the coordination of EMU Communication Faculty research assistant İbrahim Emre Sugel and within the scope of the workshop held with content creator Can Pürüzsüz, the success of the students were appreciated.
Prof. Dr. Ersoy: “Our Projects will continue with the Sense of Peace Journalism”
In a statement, New Media and Journalism Department Chair Prof. Dr. Metin Ersoy, who is also the project advisor of the documentary, congratulated those who contributed to the process and expressed his gratitude to everyone who sensitively carry out work on the problems of the society by bringing a possible environmental disaster in Cyprus into the agenda. Saying that; “We are happy that an issue that could be the disaster of the century in the Mediterranean geography was handled by communication students and won an award in a serious competition. In the coming days, our projects will continue with the understanding of peace journalism, sensitive to the problems of society”, Prof. Dr. Ersoy noted that the New Media and Journalism Department showed that it has started to reflect the training it provides to the students into the field.
Prof. Dr. Çavuşoğlu: “This Achievement once again shows the Importance of Sensitivity of Academia in regards to Social Problems”
EMU Communication Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Senih Çavuşoğlu also thanked the students for achieving a great success in a prestigious competition and expressed that this achievement is a sign of the good quality education Communication Faculty offers and the continuous renewal of its education approaches. Prof. Dr. Çavuşoğlu also said: “I congratulate our students and academic staff members who contributed to the process which led to a success like this in TJS Aydın Doğan Young Communicators Competition, one of the leading competitions in the media sector. As an institution, we are proud that our students received the second prize. This success once again showed the importance of the academy's sensitivity to social problems”.
Environmental Journalism was the Focus in the Documentary
In the statement made by second place winners Sadık Tevfik Kayrakçı and Melisa Santürk, it was stated that the CMC documentary aimed to draw attention on the effects of mine tailings on environment as well as human health. Kayrakçı said: “Examining the ongoing environmental impacts of CMC, the mining company operating in Cyprus in the past, and the potential effects of environmental pollution was a task that I saw as a social responsibility project. I was honored to be involved and direct this documentary based on such an important issue where its effects on society are observed”.
Noting that they have created a pool of information gathered from their research conducted within the scope of the documentary, Santürk said: “We took care to create a fluent narrative in this project, by focusing on environmental journalism. As a student of EMU New Media and Journalism Department, I was honored to have made an effort to raise awareness about CMC and its mining waste, which has a place in the social memory of Cyprus. I would like to thank all my friends who are part of the team with us, our advisors and the EMU Faculty of Communication, of which I am also a member”.
62 Students from 18 Universities Received Awards
The TJS – Aydın Doğan Young Communicators Competition, which is one of the most rooted competitions for students of the Faculty of Communication that plays a strong role in raising contemporary and qualified journalists in Turkey, was held for the 33rd time this year. In the competition where more than 20 thousand students have participated by carrying out projects so far and successful names such as Cüneyt Özdemir, Çağan Irmak, Güven İslamoğlu, Haluk Sarıtaş, Ömer Öztürk and Yağız Şenkal participated during their student years, 62 students from 18 universities were deemed worthy of awards with 44 projects this year.
Finalists will contribute to Creating Awareness on Earthquakes
The Turkish Journalists Association – Aydın Doğan Young Communicators Competition Award Ceremony, which is an important meeting place for both young journalists and sector representatives who advance the journalism profession every year, was held in a different format this year. The finalists of the competition will receive mentoring support from leading names in the industry to develop projects that will contribute to earthquake awareness this year. With these projects, which they will develop by the end of the year, young individuals will be encouraged to start their careers with the communication trends and tools of the age, while contributing to keeping social memory alive in earthquake zones.
