Gilroy
– After trying his hand in both law and politics, new city
government reporter Serdar Tumgoren honed his journalism skills
covering a gamut of issues.
By Lori Stuenkel
Gilroy – After trying his hand in both law and politics, new city government reporter Serdar Tumgoren honed his journalism skills covering a gamut of issues.
Tumgoren, 27, comes to The Gilroy Dispatch newsroom most recently from coastal Connecticut, where he worked at a weekly newspaper for 18 months. He reported on everything from business to education to crime.
“We’re excited to add a seasoned and personable reporter to the newsroom who will help us continue to strengthen our product,” Executive Editor Mark Derry said. “Serdar is sharp and a great addition to a very solid crew.”
Covering the people and issues of local politics is what really piques Tumgoren’s interest.
“It’s because the people who are involved in this stuff wield such a large amount of power,” he said. “Things move slowly, so you don’t really see it, but they’re the people who really control the direction of things. That’s what draws me to it, just understanding how things get done and the channels that power goes through.”
Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Tumgoren moved to this country at the age of 5 and grew up in Lower Westchester County, New York. He is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Turkey.
Tumgoren studied history and philosophy at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Upon graduation in 1999, he joined the legal department of the National Geographic Society, where he wrote correspondence and contracts, and researched legal and public policy issues.
“It made me realize I didn’t want to be a lawyer,” he said.
A stint in media relations for Sen. Tim Johnson’s (D-SD) press office in Washington, D.C. granted Tumgoren an inside look at politics and sparked his interest in journalism.
Tumgoren worked as an editorial assistant and researcher for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, a bi-weekly publication covering charities, fund-raising and other philanthropy related news, for three years starting in fall 2000. With The Chronicle, Tumgoren wrote stories on notable grants, and in 2002, researched and co-wrote a survey of the top 60 American donors.
“Within probably a couple months, I knew this is it – I wanted to be a reporter,” he said.
The Connecticut chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists awarded Tumgoren’s work with the Harbor News in 2003. He earned first place in the general reporting category for his series on wastewater control in Clinton, CT.
