He graduated from Gazi University, Faculty of Communication, Radio, Television and Cinema department as the top student of the faculty. He completed his master's degree at Gazi University Institute of Social Sciences, Radio, Television and Cinema Department, and his doctorate at the same university's Public Relations and Promotion Department. He stepped into the media industry as an assistant director in documentary production at TRT. After working as an intern reporter at BRT (2001-2002) and SKYTÜRK (2002-2003) televisions, he worked as an Assistant Expert at the General Directorate of Promotion of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism between 2004-2007. He worked at Anadolu Agency (AA), where he passed the exam in 2007, and as Washington correspondent and Washington Chief Correspondent/Representative in the USA between 2009 and 2015. At the end of 2015, he worked as a publisher at the Foreign News desk of the News Center Publication Directorate in Ankara. He has been working as the Foreign and Economic News Publication Manager in the same directorate since 2021. Ünal, who has 13 articles/book chapters in national and international magazines and books on cinema and journalism, also gives lectures at universities in the same fields.