Students from the New Media and Communication Department of Ibn Haldun University paid an educational visit to the Istanbul International News Center of Anadolu Agency (AA), where they had the opportunity to observe firsthand the workings of one of Türkiye's leading international news organizations on 27 April 2026.
The visit, organized as part of the department's efforts to bridge academic learning with professional practice, was attended by Assist. Prof. Yasmin Aldamen along with PhD, MA, and BA students specializing in media and communication studies. The program aimed to familiarize students with real-world news production processes and provide them with direct exposure to the dynamic environment of an international news agency.
The visit began with an introductory presentation by Anadolu Agency Human Resources Business Partner Şulenur Kahveci, who provided an overview of the agency's institutional structure, corporate culture, global operations, and career opportunities. Kahveci outlined internship programs and professional development pathways available to students pursuing careers in journalism and media, and highlighted the agency's work in innovation, multilingual reporting, and digital transformation, emphasizing the importance of adaptability in today's rapidly evolving media landscape.
As part of the program, students attended a presentation by Assistant Reporter Adama Bamba of AA's French News Desk, also a graduate of our university's Faculty of Communication. Bamba offered a comprehensive overview of the agency's editorial framework, explaining how international developments are monitored, assessed, and transformed into news content for global audiences. He elaborated on the collaborative nature of newsroom operations and the role of multilingual desks in ensuring accurate and timely news flow. Bamba outlined the French News Desk's core responsibilities as news translation, writing and editing, tracking global political and economic developments, producing digital media content, and conducting field reporting and interviews, stressing that linguistic precision, editorial judgment, and speed are essential to delivering quality journalism to diverse audiences.
The session also covered the agency's editorial planning mechanisms. Bamba noted that through the AA Agenda system, major international events such as sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, NATO summits, and various global forums are monitored well in advance, enabling journalists and editors to prepare coverage plans, assign tasks, and carry out comprehensive reporting.
Students were additionally briefed on the agency's technical workflows. They learned that news is initially gathered from verified primary sources and entered into the News Flow System (HAS), before being edited through the Content Management System (CMS) and published across multiple platforms, including social media channels.
During the question-and-answer session, participants raised questions on journalistic ethics, fact-checking processes, and the challenges posed by the fast-paced digital news environment. Kahveci clarified the distinction between news agencies and television broadcasters, explaining that while agencies primarily focus on producing and distributing news, television channels largely rely on agency subscriptions to access timely and reliable information. She also underscored the growing significance of visual journalism, noting that photographs taken by Anadolu Agency photojournalists attract considerable international attention and represent an important source of revenue for the organization.
The visit concluded with closing remarks by Assist. Prof. Yasmin Aldamen, who thanked the Anadolu Agency team for hosting the students and providing a valuable learning experience, highlighting the role of such initiatives in preparing students for careers in media and communication. The visit offered students a broad perspective on contemporary journalism practices, from editorial decision-making to technical workflows, and provided them with meaningful insight into the global media industry.
