i joined 140journos in fall 2018, right after şokopop had joined the team. until then, şokopop was an anonymous video channel which had produced two viral video series on pop culture icons of turkey and history, and it was a sensation. many people recommended the videos to me the day they were released, saying i should totally watch them. that summer, i had actually sent him a message about working with him, but then i was too shy to continue the conversation.
i was very certain that i should be part of the team, so i sent them an enthusiastic email. i gave them a presentation for my ideas for the video series “sezen vs. yıldız,” however during the research period i contributed to other projects of the team in research, writing and editing as well. 140journos didn’t have the “tradition” of crediting interns, so my name is not visible there.
140journos was known for its stylish political content and documentaries. they first appeared during the gezi protests, sharing news through twitter, hence the name “140journos.” 7-8 months after i joined, due to internal issues with the firm, many people left, including me. with 3-4 people, we decided to continue the name under “şokopop.”
my contributions
the future is here - 2019
my role: research and event organizing
ceylan çaplı, the “prince” of nightlife, changed the fate of liberalizing turkey’s baby x generation by opening the right club in the right place, at the right time. this video investigates the history of the club, and was a collobaration with redbull.
we also hosted a release event for the video. during the release, the part involving president erdoğan sending flowers to the opening of the club had to be censored for the online release. this was one of the many censorings i would be observing with şokopop.
bi’ ilhan irem vardı - there was an ilhan irem
my role: archival research
this video investigates the life of the singer from the 1970s İlhan İrem and İrembağı, the mysterious fan club formed by those who believe in the “universal love planet” philosophy he created. the video takes its name from the famous internet saying “bi ilhan irem vardı ne oldu ona” (there was an ilhan irem, what happened to him).
göz kırpmadan: 2019 (2019 without a blink)
my role: research and video compilation
a typical video from 140journos, an almanac video showcasing the popular events of the year 2019. i helped with research and videos.
links: 140journos website | youtube channel