Sami Menteş

(Journalist from Turkey, JiR in 2023/2024)

“Journalism is a magical world, but it is also full of challenges. I met ECPMF at a time when I could not return to my country. Before joining the JiR programme, I was afraid and pessimistic about the future.

I find it hard to find words to describe the solidarity of the ECPMF team and their efforts on my behalf. Their efforts were a message to me that “nothing is over, you should continue your journalistic adventure”. At the end of the six months I spent in the programme, I can say that I stopped being pessimistic about the future.

I learned so much about the magical world of journalism through the JiR programme, which is not only a programme that hosts journalists for a while but also helps them to develop their skills.

I leave the wonderful city of Leipzig as a much stronger person who has learned new things as a journalist. In every difficult situation I find myself in, I will remember the solidarity of the ECPMF team, which I will remember for the rest of my life, and I will say to myself: “You must continue doing journalism”.

Photos: Andreas Lamm