Simone Benazzo has joined the Media and Journalism Research Center’s Fellowship Program. The focus of his research project at MJRC is on investigating the active role that critical journalism can play in holding autocratic rulers to account, even under hostile conditions. His research will focus on Central and Southeastern Europe, a region where he will analyze four countries, namely Poland, Hungary, Serbia and Turkey. The research aims to understand how independent media resist autocratization and why some of those independent media succeed in resisting whereas others don’t. 

Simone Benazzo is pursuing a PhD in Political Science at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles where he also works as a teaching assistant. Furthermore, Simone is a contributor and policy analyst covering Central Europe and Western Balkans for various investigative reporting networks such as Balkan Insight, or news media such as Trieste.News, Rai Friuli, or EuroNews. 

Selected Publications:

See more details about Simone’s research project he will develop at MJRC on his fellowship page.