A global research hub for media, journalism and power
We study media systems, track ownership and influence, and promote accountability. From AI and disinformation to ownership and governance, our mission is to turn evidence into action for media reform.
Latest from MJRC
New Study Finds European Climate Coverage Turns On Sovereignty, Not Science
A new article published in New Ideas in Media and Communication, the academic journal of the Media and Journalism Research Center, finds that national sovereignty, not scientific urgency, is the…
Media and Information Research Commons, A New Way to Publish Research, Is Launched
The Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) has launched the Media and Information Research Commons, a publishing platform on which research is reviewed and published as a verified record rather…
New Study Proposes an Audit Protocol for AI-Mediated Communication
The Media and Journalism Research Center has published a new article in its journal New Ideas in Media and Communication, proposing a framework for analysing communication in which meaning is…
New NIMC Study Explores How TikTok Makes Anti-Immigration Narratives Persuasive
The Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) has published a new study examining how anti-immigration narratives are constructed and made persuasive on TikTok. Published in New Ideas in Media and…
Local Signal to Publish Its First Findings This Autumn
MJRC will publish the first batch of findings from Local Signal: Mapping How Communities Get Informed in autumn 2026. The project examines how information travels within local communities, looking beyond…
New MJRC Study Explores the Political Power of Memes in the 2024 European Elections
The Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) has published a new study examining how political memes were used during the 2024 European Parliament elections, highlighting their growing role as tools…
In the news
Where our research is cited, discussed and used.
MJRC Research Cited in Evidence to UK Parliament’s BBC Charter Inquiry
MJRC’s research has been cited in evidence submitted to the UK Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee as part of its inquiry into the…
MJRC Report on Humanitarian Crisis Coverage Featured on ABC Australia
Our “Humanitarian Crisis Coverage Report”, which examines how media attention is distributed across ten major humanitarian emergencies and how closely coverage reflects the severity…
MJRC Director Contributes to British Academy Publication Aimed at Informing the BBC Charter Renewal Debate
The British Academy has released a new report examining the upcoming renewal of the BBC Charter in 2027. Among the contributors is our director…
Marius Dragomir Has Received the 2025 Media and Democracy Karol Jakubowicz Award
On 22 September 2025, during the 7th Congress of the Polish Communication Association in Katowice, Poland, our director, Marius Dragomir, received the 2025 Media…
Recent studies
Selected research, with full findings and methods.
Journal paper · AI & communication
August 2026
Communication 4.0
A framework and audit protocol for examining how people, organisations and AI systems participate in communication — and where responsibility lies.
Read the study: Communication 4.0Country research · AI Information Map
August 2026
Which Hungary do AI systems show us?
Which sources AI assistants cite, recommend or warn against when answering questions about Hungary, in Hungarian and in English.
Read the study: Which Hungary do AI systems show us?Research report · Media funding
August 2026
Tracing the flows
A structural analysis of EU media and journalism funding in 2014–2024, mapping recorded commitments, recipients and the programmes behind them.
Read the study: Tracing the flows- Framing the Climate Crisis in European Media: A Comparative Study of Five Major News Outlets
- Dismissive Affect in Anti-Immigration TikTok Content: The Construction of Social Crisis Through Platform Affordances and Affective Persuasion
- Cognitive Load, Emotional Asymmetry, and the Third-Person Effect: Explaining Audience Responses to AI-Generated Health Misinformation
Open research
Media and Information Research Commons
A place to publish the evidence behind research: methods, data, findings and declared AI use, brought together in reviewed, openly accessible research records.
Explore the Commons Also explore New Ideas in Media and CommunicationExplore our research
Four connected themes. Find the projects, methods and publications behind our work.
Journalism
Ownership, funding, independence and the conditions in which journalism is produced.
Audiences
How people find, use and respond to information in their communities and everyday lives.
Policy
The rules, resources and reforms that shape media freedom and the public interest.
Technology
How digital infrastructure and AI change the production and circulation of information.
AI Information Map
Which sources do AI systems surface, cite and recommend? Explore the country findings.
AI Information Map: Which Sources AI Systems Surface in Hungary
The Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) has published the Hungary edition of its AI Information Map, a research project…
AI Information Map Spain Released: What Sources AI Systems Pick When They Describe Spain
The Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) has published the Spain results from its AI Information Map, a research project…
AI Information Map Romania Released: What Sources AI Systems Pick When They Answer You
The Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) has published the first country results from its AI Information Map, a research…
On their own sites
MJRC also runs projects with dedicated websites. Visit them for their full databases, analysis and specialist work.
Research database
State Media Monitor
Explore detailed state media profiles, the full outlet database, annual assessments and regional analysis on the project’s dedicated site.
statemediamonitor.comResearch databases
Media Influence Matrix & Global Media Finances Map
MIM examines the forces shaping media, from policy to ownership and technology. GMFM is its specialised ownership and finance project. Both are hosted on Global Media Ownership.
globalmediaownership.comClassroom project
League Index
Produced by students taught by MJRC’s leaders, League Index turns research and public data into accessible comparisons and league tables.
leagueindex.orgCommercial venture
Media Power Monitor
Media Power Monitor has been redesigned as a commercial venture, with its own site for analysis of media power, ownership and funding.
mpmonitor.orgMore from our research
Findings and analysis from across our projects, from public media and funding to audiences and conflict.
State Media Monitor
- Islands of Independence: Public Broadcasters Resisting Capture in Asia
- When the Ballot Box Becomes a Broadcast Booth: How Europe’s Public Media Are Caught in the Crossfire of Politics
Media funding & sustainability
- New MJRC Report Charts Google’s Financial Footprint in Europe
- New Report Reveals Political Influence Skewing Financial Outcomes in Hungarian Media
Media capture & policy
Explore media capture research
Narrative Mapping
Explore content analysis
Who’s Listening
Explore audience research
Media in fragile states
Explore the Media Influence Matrix
People & ideas
Meet the researchers, practitioners and emerging voices connected through MJRC.
Expert highlight
Simran Agarwal
Media policy & platform governance
Studies how state regulation and digital platforms shape news in India. Her work with MJRC includes the Media Influence Matrix.
Read profile: Simran AgarwalFellow highlight
Adriana Mutu
Media regulation & platform governance
Examines audiovisual regulation and cooperation between media authorities in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece, with a focus on the platform era.
Read profile: Adriana MutuYoung researcher highlight
Tanveer Abbas
Climate change & media narratives
Examines how European news media frame climate change and shape public understanding of environmental crises. His MJRC research connects media narratives with policy debates.
Read profile: Tanveer AbbasExpert community
Find a specialist
Explore our international community of scholars, journalists and policy experts working on media independence, regulation, digital rights and journalism.
Meet the MJRC expertsFellows & emerging researchers
Develop your research with us
Get to know our fellows and their projects, or explore the mentorship and research opportunities in the Young Researchers Program.
Strategy & impact
Journalism Trends
Our blog: ideas, arguments and perspectives on journalism, media power and public life.
The Soviet Afterlife in Romania: Reservists’ Political Culture and the Pull Towards Moscow
By Cerasel Cuteanu Nearly four decades after the fall of Communism, Romania is still asking whether it ever truly escaped Moscow’s grip. A new political…
Hungary After Orbán: How to Rebuild Media Freedom and the Role of Funders
By Robert Nemeth The landslide defeat of Viktor Orbán marks a turning point not only in Hungarian politics but also in the country’s media landscape…
When Telling the Truth Is a Death Sentence
By Pius Fozan In September, I will begin my journalism traineeship. I have never been one for personal heroes. But if I could claim even…
Does Upscaling Independent Media Work? Lessons Learned in an Authoritarian Environment
Can small, local independent media thrive in an authoritarian environment? A multiple-year-long funding programme revealed that upscaling small outlets can deliver results, but only when…
Masks Off: Is Political Deception Working Its Magic?
A businessman from the world of transport briefly stepped into the shoes of a diplomat acting on behalf of the Romanian government. The outcome? A…
Fighting Capture: How to Support Independent Journalism in Autocracies
Reflections on a four-year support program for independent journalism in countries faced with media capture
Work with MJRC
Invest in independent media research and join a community of practice.
MJRC takes no government money — so the questions we chase are set by the field, not by a funder. A contribution keeps our research and global analysis independent, and buys you a seat closer to the work: early access to new findings, invitations to small-group briefings, a place in our Supporters Circle, and the option to be listed on our Supporters Page.