Ilgin Yorulmaz is a Turkish multimedia journalist specializing in foreign policy and culture currently based in Tokyo, Japan, where she teaches at Temple University. A graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Yorulmaz’s drive comes from her desire to seek justice and tell the stories of ordinary people living under extraordinary circumstances. Her work can be found in The Huffington Post, Vice, The Guardian, Vogue and more.
1. Have you always wanted to be a journalist? I never thought I would become a journalist. But I have always been very curious (to the level of nosy), and willing to talk to others about their problems. And I've always felt that I had a very strong sense of justice. All these came together and made me the journalist I am today!
2. Walk us through the typical timeline from pitching to a publication. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of pre-reporting. I always tell my students that the more authority they have over their story material, the better their story will come out. First and foremost, you must always pitch a story, not an idea. Homelessness is an idea; investigating homeless Americans or Europeans in Tokyo is a story. Also, never lie to your editor about access to a character. Find a good editor who can support you, enrich your work and guide you on how to go about conceiving, reporting and later structuring a story. If you work in unison with your editor in those crucial stages of the story, the result is bound to be good.