Our Team

More than 60 people contributed to this year-long research project, including 34 researchers who mapped and interviewed media outlets in more than 40 European countries.

management team

Cofounder and Executive Director
In 2015, Janine co-founded SembraMedia with Mijal Iastrebner. Janine was a Knight Fellow with the International Center for Journalists from 2016 to 2022, which supported her work with SembraMedia in Latin America. She taught online journalism at the University of Miami and the University of Southern California and has been a guest lecturer at more than 30 universities. She also taught a series of online courses in entrepreneurial journalism for the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas. She’s written or co-authored 25 books about the Internet and she has also created more than 200 hours of training videos for leading online learning companies, including Lynda.com, CreativeLive, and KelbyOne.
Cofounder and Executive Director
In 2015, Mijal co-founded SembraMedia with Janine Warner. Mijal is also a journalist, entrepreneur and teacher. She has worked as a professor at the Torcuato Di Tella University, University of San Andrés and developed the Entrepreneurial Journalism Journalism program for the School of Journalism TEA. She began her journalistic career launching her own magazine at age 22 and leading a team of 20 people. At the age of 24, she started working as a digital startup consultant, specialising in ​​monetization and management. She worked for international companies, such as Coca Cola, on online education and brand development projects. Mijal has participated as a speaker and panellist in international conferences such as ISOJ, Media Party and the Perugia International Journalism Festival.
General Manager
María Eugenia is in charge of SembraMedia’s general strategy. She works with SembraMedia’s management and their teams, optimising processes and communication among SembraMedia’s various areas and initiatives. She is also a journalist and has worked in both traditional and digital native media. She teaches the radio workshop at the Escuela de Periodismo TEA in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She completed a diploma in digital journalism and worked in general production, editing and content creation in radio and television. In addition, she is a press and institutional communication advisor.
Ambassadors coordinator
Miguel coordinates the work SembraMedia’s team of ambassadors do in their communities while supporting the entrepreneurial journalism ecosystem in the region. He holds a master’s degree in Digital Media: Technology and Cultural Form, with Distinction from Goldsmiths, University of London. He is currently pursuing his PhD studies at the Faculty of Information Technology at Monash University in Australia. Here, he also works as a Teaching Associate in the ​​School of Media, Film & Journalism, where he shares his experience and knowledge in media research. In recent years, he has collaborated on several SembraMedia initiatives, such as SembraEducativo, Escuela Virtual de SembraMedia, Red de Profes de periodismo emprendedor, Inflection Point International Study, and Project Oasis.

Research Director and Regional Managers

Research director
Madalina Ciobanu is an independent consultant who works with mission-driven news organisations, foundations and NGOs to articulate and serve the needs of their communities. She is based in London, UK. Before joining SembraMedia, she was a project manager at the European Journalism Centre (EJC), a Dutch foundation where she designed and delivered programs that provided up to €5 million in funding and support for journalists and news organisations in Europe. Prior to that, she was a senior reporter at journalism.co.uk, covering the intersection of media and technology.
Regional research manager, Central and Eastern Europe
Lela Vujanic is a policy researcher, editor, and project manager in the media sector. She has initiated numerous non-profit media projects and initiatives, both print and digital, focused on social movements, social rights, and contemporary culture. She served as chief program manager for Rijeka 2020 – European Capital of Culture and as the head of the media department for the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia. She was a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow in Journalism at the University of Maryland.
Regional research manager, Northern Europe
Sanne Breimer is a freelance project manager, consultant and journalism trainer for international media organisations, including clients such as the Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) and the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU). Previously, she worked in national public broadcasting in The Netherlands for almost thirteen years, mostly in managerial positions with a focus on digital media and innovation. Sanne also founded Inclusive Journalism, with which she aims to educate (primarily) Western journalists about media representation and decolonization through a weekly newsletter and online courses.
Regional research manager, Southern Europe
Elena Ledda is a Sardinian independent journalist with a bachelor’s degree in foreign languages (Spanish and Mandarin Chinese) and is based in Barcelona, Spain. From 2017 to 2020 she was the deputy director of the National Geographic Storica magazine. She now combines freelancing with teaching engagement journalism and journalistic ethics with gender, class, and ethnicity perspectives. She also teaches constructive and solutions journalism for the BCN_NY master’s degree in journalism. The BCN_NY program is a collaboration between the Universitat de Barcelona and Columbia University.

Editorial team

Lead report writer
Kathryn is an Australian-based consultant with 19 years of international experience specialising in designing and executing high-impact initiatives, optimising organisational success, and building strategic engagement and partnerships. Prior to Kathryn establishing her own consultancy service Engaging Impact, she was the director of grants programmes at the European Journalism Centre (EJC). Prior to the EJC, she was the policy, strategy and research lead for creative industries at Digital Catapult; worked alongside Google News Initiative to deliver the Digital Identities programme for journalists in Europe and India; and led a programme supporting innovation in UK hyperlocal media at Nesta.
Content editor
Cristina Puerta is a freelance journalist and proofreader. Previously, she worked as a proofreader for the Spanish crowdfunding publishing company Libros.com. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Castilla La-Mancha. In 2016, she moved to London, where she covered Brexit and European citizens’ rights for media outlets such as eldiario.es and Cuarto Poder. Cristina has collaborated with media outlets such as SModa (El País), Coolt, and Píkara Magazine, writing about culture, finances, and feminism.
Editor
James is a consultant specialised in digital media, innovation and entrepreneurship. He was co-director of the Master’s program in Global Economic Journalism at Tsinghua University. As a Knight International Journalism Fellow he launched and directed the Digital Journalism Training Center at the University of Guadalajara. Before becoming a university professor, he had an extensive professional career as a reporter, editor and the general manager of the Baltimore Business Journal. His investigative journalism received awards from the American City Business Journals, Association of Area Business Publications and the Society of Professional Journalists. He holds a Master’s degree in English literature (University of Connecticut) and a Bachelor’s degree in English literature (College of Wooster).
Content editor
Nicole Chang is an independent journalist and editor. Currently based in Paris, she has worked in newsrooms in Singapore, London, and Shanghai. Her work has been published by the BBC, Euronews, Channel NewsAsia, the Independent, and the Mozilla Foundation, among others.

Communications team

Director of Communications
Naimid is the lead for SembraMedia’s internal and external communications. He coordinates SembraMedia’s communities by working with the organisation’s ambassadors and communications team. Naimid is a journalist and has worked in the media for the past 12 years. He has experience in television, radio, traditional print and digital native media. He was part of the coordination of the Cosecha Roja Fellowship, where more than 70 journalists from Latin America were trained on human rights, reporting with a gender perspective and new narratives.
Communications Coordinator
Ana coordinates both external and internal communications for SembraMedia. She carries out operational tasks related to publishing and sharing information about SembraMedia’s initiatives. She also works closely with the management sector of SembraMedia’s communications department. Ana studied social communication with a journalism emphasis at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata. She has continued her study of the intersections between communications and gender by immersing herself in the digital world. Previously, she worked managing social media, producing podcasts and organising both virtual and face-to-face events. She has also trained various organisations on how to digitize their work processes and methodologies.
Community Manager
Carolina manages SembraMedia’s social media, adapting the organisation’s content for social networks and fostering conversation with SembreaMedia virtual communities. She also supports the communications team by producing reports about SembraMedia’s social media. Carolina is a public relations specialist, digital strategist and photographer. She is experienced in developing communication strategies and social media plans for a variety of organisations. She is also an activist, supporting the communications initiatives of LGBTI+ groups.
Copy Editor
Katherine is the co-founder and editor of El Colectivo 506, an independent media outlet in Costa Rica focused on solutions journalism and rural communities. She specialises in long-form reporting on immigration, education, women’s rights, and civil society. As a Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism (Carter Center, USA, 2021-2022), she leads an effort to train and support rural journalists in Costa Rica as they develop reporting on this topic. Katherine has worked as the editor-in-chief of The Tico Times and she has published in international media including Yes! Magazine and The Huffington Post. She lives in San José with her husband Adrián and her daughter Emma Jane, for whom she wrote “Love in Translation: Letters to My Costa Rican Daughter,” published in 2016.
Translator
María Eugenia is an English-Spanish certified translator, interpreter and Law student (Universidad de Buenos Aires). She holds a degree in Journalism (TEA) and has attended courses on Spanish proofreading, creative writing and specialized translation, among others.

Technology team

Director of Innovation
Daniela is in charge of product and system design to further the growth of both SembraMedia and the wider digital media ecosystem. She’s constantly developing innovative processes through the use and creation of new technologies. She has a degree in communication sciences and, for the last 10 years, she has worked on digital products and content projects in Latin America. She has also worked as project coordinator for startup content agencies, and as management creator for different platforms. She worked as a radio and podcast producer and have coordinated institutional communication campaigns and product positioning.
Data Manager
Magalí is in charge of reviewing, maintaining and optimising SembraMedia’s databases. She analyses and supports the organisation’s research and digital media directories. She worked previously in the tourism and programming fields, working first with airline ticketing systems and then in data analysis as a business intelligence specialist. She specialises in the Python programming language, and in recent years, has tried to democratise access to information about Python by creating “La Maga de Python,” her alias to teach programming and data analysis from the very beginning. Magalí is also a strong advocate of remote work and the digital nomad lifestyle.
Website programmer
Alejo is a developer, programmer, and IT consultant with over 15 years of experience. He works as a Project Manager in web design and programming developments. He is highly qualified in usability, user experience and user interface (UX/UI). He has worked on over 170 projects with clients and collaborators throughout the world.

Finance team

Director of Finance
Micaela is in charge of creating and managing SembraMedia’s budgets, as well as analysing the financial reports for SembraMedia’s different programs. For the ten years prior to coming to SembraMedia, she coordinated an Argentinean company’s administration and finance department. She is in her final year as an actuarial economics student at the Universidad de Buenos Aires.
Institutional Administrator
Martina works in the administrative area of SembraMedia, managing tasks such as supplier, service and office contracting. She also supports SembreaMedia’s finance department, assisting with financial reports and processes. Currently, Martina is studying administration at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina.
Administrative Project Lead
Vanesa supports and assists the Project Oasis management team with tasks and processes such as hiring, payments, and the monitoring of budgets and timelines. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina) and is a master’s candidate in international studies. She did a postgraduate course in Germany on international economics focused on development. She also worked for several companies such as Accenture and ExxonMobil. For the last five years, she worked for a German political foundation.
Executive Secretary
Violeta assists the Executive Board by coordinating its articulation with the operational team, the board of directors, allies and other key actors of the independent digital native media ecosystem. She has a degree as a Literature Professor from the Universidad Católica Argentina and has postgraduate studies in cultural management and journalism. She has experience in administrative and academic management in higher education, specifically oriented to teaching in virtual learning environments. She has also worked in press and communication for several cultural projects and public organisations. She is a contributor to independent digital media dedicated to cultural criticism.

Agencies

Legal Support
Legal Army (L-A) is an alternative legal services provider with a staff of in-house lawyers trained in a proprietary and unique methodology created by L-A to gain efficiency and excellence by lowering fees through the use of technology and agile working methodologies. The company automates repetitive processes and thus has more time to advise and solve its clients’ problems. https://www.legalarmy.net/en/
Illustrations, and Visual Strategy
Fabrica Memética is the design and communication agency of Memetic Media from Paraguay, which was created by the media organization El Surti. Fabrica Memética works with Latin American organizations to build a collaborative and participatory society, leveraging the power of memetic communication. Their team designed the graphics and illustrations in this report and website.
Public Relations and Partnerships
Founded in 2019 by Clara Nafría, Grove Studio is driven by a core mission: use a personalized and project-based creative approach to develop efficient, long-term strategies that place value on social commitments and the people involved. Based in Barcelona, the agency works with clients and collaborators throughout the world. https://www.prgrove.com/
Translation agency
Okodia is a professional translation agency certified by ISO 9001 & ISO 17100 standards that delivers high-quality linguistic services. With a skilled team of +1500 expert linguists, they offer accurate and efficient translations in +80 languages and industries. Committed to client satisfaction, Okodia ensures clear communication, cultural adaptation, and timely delivery, making them a reliable partner for global communication needs. https://www.okodia.co.uk/

Researchers

Researcher for Armenia
Armen Sargsyan is a media and education expert and project manager. He has hosted TV and radio programmes, implemented award-winning multimedia projects, produced films and designed communication strategies and academic courses in Armenia, Europe, the USA and Russia. He is a US Government Hubert Humphrey Fellowship award winner, as well as holder of several national and international professional prizes. He is interested in media literacy, media entrepreneurship and digital media innovation and education. He is also the author of books and publications on modern media education, and holds a master’s degree in Linguistics. Currently, he is director of media programmes at the Armenia Civics for Engagement project.
Researcher for Bulgaria
Nikolay Marchenko is a journalist with 14 years of experience in Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova and Russian media outlets. He is a Bulgarian, Russian and Romanian-speaking journalist with expertise in the energy sector and economic topics. He was a correspondent for Russia’s Kommersant Daily for Bulgaria and Romania. Since 2017, he has been working for leading investigative media outlet Bivol.bg (OCCRP and WikiLeaks Partner for Bulgaria) as a reporter and Russian version editor. His investigations are on trans-border projects, Russia’s TurkStream 2 gas pipeline, Lukoil Bulgaria tax avoidance schemes, Nicolas Maduro’s millions in Bulgarian banks, exports of Bashar al-Assad’s phosphates into Europe and investigations into bribery concerning the export of Bulgaria’s weapons to Ukraine via Romania and Poland. He has been deputy editor-in-chief of Bivol since October 2022.
Researcher for Croatia
Arijana Kladar Terzić has dedicated her career to working in media and communications, at both a national and international level. She works as a content coordinator for RTL Television in Croatia, focusing on streaming services and digital development. She received a Francis Vals Traineeship in the European Parliament in Brussels, and also worked as a policy and communications assistant to a Member of the European Parliament. With other co-authors from the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Political Science and Human Rights House Zagreb, she worked on the publication Guideposts to Free and Accountable Media, focusing on human rights in non-profit media in Croatia.
Researcher for Hungary
Gyula Csák is an experienced journalist, manager and trainer with a strong international background (Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, RFE/RL, BBC, Euronews) and more than 25 years of experience in broadcast and online media. He loves working in a multinational environment and has an excellent network of media professionals all over Europe, from Spain to Ukraine. Gyula has fulfilled different management positions with increased responsibilities in the past 15 years, and has excellent knowledge of journalism in theory and practice.
Researcher for Latvia, Lithuania
Dionizas Litvaitis is a freelance journalist, media analyst and project manager working in the Baltic states. His work has been published in Are We Europe, New Eastern Europe, BBC, Euronews, The Telegraph, Mediapart and NBC News. He has contributed to TV reports and documentaries from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia commissioned by ITV, BBC, CNA, ZDF, Sky News, NPO, Netflix, TV4 and France3. He has also worked on research and educational projects with IREX, MIT ACT and the Forum on Information & Democracy, and was a Baltic Correspondent for Reporters Without Borders from 2018 to 2022. Recently he has been teaching a course on Baltic journalism at the Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki.
Researcher for Georgia
Nino Macharashvili is a co-founder and director at ForSet, a data-driven communications organisation based in Tbilisi, Georgia. Prior to this, she worked as a data journalist and projects coordinator at JumpStart Georgia for almost five years. She holds a BA in Journalism and an MA in Creative and Media Enterprises. With a passion for connecting data enthusiasts from various professional backgrounds and sectors, she founded DataFest Tbilisi in 2017, the first annual international data conference in the South Caucasus.
Researcher for Spain
Alfredo Casares is the founder and director of the Instituto de Periodismo Constructivo, an organisation that works with journalists, media outlets and universities to develop training programmes and consultancy on solutions journalism. He is a Solutions Journalism LEDE Fellow 2021 and author of the book La hora del periodismo constructivo. He has worked for the Miami Herald as City Editor for El Nuevo Herald and as the director of new content at Diario de Navarra (Spain), where he founded the first Innovation Media Lab at a Spanish newspaper. He has led projects that have received more than 10 national and international awards. He has also received an Acumen Fellowship for social impact.
Researcher for Portugal
Catarina Fernandes Martins has been travelling the world as a foreign correspondent and screenwriting for documentaries and TV in Portugal and the United States. She is one of the co-producers of the documentary From Devil’s Breath, directed by Academy Award winner Orlando von Einsiedel and produced by Leonardo DiCaprio. Her work has appeared in PBS’s Emmy Award-winning show Articulate, the Guardian, The Christian Science Monitor, The Washington Post, PRI’s The World and Foreign Policy. She has won awards and recognition in Portugal and abroad, including Portugal’s highest journalistic award in the category of young journalist of the year, as well as an International Women’s Media Foundation fellowship. She has also trained as a radio producer with the Transom Story Workshop. https://catarinafmartins.com/
Researcher for North Macedonia
Zaklina Hadji Zafirova is an investigative journalist, trainer, editor, project manager and consultant in the media sphere. She has been working for many domestic and international media outlets and organisations such as Transitions Online, the Institute for War and Peace, Danish SCOOP, Journalism Fund and others. She was working as an investigative journalist and reporter for the daily Utrinski vesnik, one of the leading newspapers in the country, after which she established the Center for Investigative Journalism SCOOP-Macedonia. Lately, she has been upgrading her professional career by giving training to young students in journalism and media literacy.
Researcher for Italy
Valentina Vivona is a multimedia journalist and communications expert with 10 years’ worth of experience. She has a background in Environmental Economics and Peace Studies and focuses on environmental and social issues, with bylines in national and international outlets such as Altreconomia and Are We Europe. In 2014, Vivona won the Roberto Morrione award for an investigative video on illicit waste disposal in Rome for RaiNews. She has lived and worked in Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Spain and France. Vivona also carried out transnational European projects on media-related issues and data journalism for the non-profit organisation Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa from 2017 to 2022.
Researcher for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia
Lidija Pisker is a freelance journalist and researcher whose work has been published by the Guardian, BBC, openDemocracy, Euronews and numerous other international media outlets. She has authored several media research studies for the South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM) and IREX’s Media Sustainability Index. Pisker is the winner of UN and UNICEF journalism prizes for journalistic contributions to tolerance, inclusiveness and prevention of discrimination. She is also the recipient of a special plaque under the Bosnia and Herzegovina journalism award Srđan Aleksić for professional reporting on marginalised groups and the development of socially responsible journalism. www.lidijapisker.com
Researcher for Finland
Mirva Villa works as a journalist at PolicyTracker, reporting on spectrum management and policy globally. She holds an MA in International Relations from Anglia Ruskin University, and a BA in Multimedia Journalism from Bournemouth University. Her background also includes local news, media monitoring and digital communications.
Researcher for The Netherlands, Sweden
Anne Grietje Franssen is a historian, researcher and journalist from Amsterdam, living on a car-free island off the Swedish west coast. She currently works as a Scandinavia correspondent for Dutch daily newspaper Trouw and publishes essays and longreads for Dutch and Belgian titles like Vrij Nederland, NRC, Knack en De Groene Amsterdammer. She used to work as an environmental reporter at Trouw’s offices before her move up north. Her academic background is in both (post-colonial) history and journalism, but these days she directs most of her attention to the acute climate crisis and alternatives to a western, consumer-based society.
Researcher for United Kingdom
Juliana da Penha is a freelance journalist. She is the founder of Migrant Women Press, an independent media outlet focused on the experiences of migrant women. She is from Brazil, where she worked as a reporter for nearly a decade and wrote about hip-hop culture and social movements. She has lived in Portugal, Cape Verde, Italy and the United Kingdom. She is now based in Scotland and writes about migration, race, inequalities, social justice and culture. She has worked in the charity sector in Italy and Scotland, doing community development and empowering migrant communities, especially women. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Studies and Communication and a master’s degree in Human Rights and International Politics.
Researcher for Estonia
Riin Aljas is a data journalist working for Estonia’s Delfi Meedia AS investigative team. She was previously a Scripps Howard Data Journalism Fellow at Newsy’s investigative team. She has held reporting and data journalism positions at several newspapers and media teams both in Estonia and in the United States.
Researcher for Azerbaijan
Javid Ramazanov is an independent journalist based in Baku, Azerbaijan. He has received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in publishing and media management. He has worked as an intern with the Kyiv Post newspaper, participated in the USA’s International Visitor Leadership Program and worked with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. He has also worked as an editor, columnist and TV presenter for various social, political and cultural projects. He is the author of two books.
Researcher for Romania
Stefania Matache is a Romanian independent journalist. In the last seven years, she has produced written and video content for various Romanian and international media outlets on topics ranging from human rights violations to environmental issues. Previously, she was a staff reporter for VICE. She is currently based in Cologne, Germany, where she is an MA student in Digital Narratives with the Internationale.
Researcher for Czech Republic
Magdalena Sodomková is a Czech documentarist and investigative journalist with over 17 years of experience. She also works as a fixer for numerous international media organisations (ARTE, De Volkskrant, Dagens Nygeter, the Guardian, Nieuwsuur, Al Jazeera and more). She has published a true-crime podcast and a book called The Mathematics of Crime about justice and media capture. This story is being filmed by director Peter Bebjak, and she will be one of the protagonists. She has also received several journalism awards (the best interview or the best audiovisual story by OSF, Czech German Journalist prize Milena Jesenska, and more).
Researcher for Slovakia
Peter Hanák is a journalist, researcher and university teacher. He founded and leads the podcasting department of the biggest Slovak news website Aktuality.sk, and hosts video interviews and debates with politicians. He has more than 15 years of experience; previously he worked as a reporter for the Slovak public service broadcaster RTVS, as well as for economic daily and regional weekly newspapers. He holds a PhD in media studies, and his research is focused on media capture, media law and democracy. Currently, he is a lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Comenius University Bratislava, teaching law and economics. As a researcher, he also collaborates with the International Press Institute.
Researcher for Ukraine
Masha Chelova is a multilingual freelance documentary producer, project manager and educator with a main focus on current affairs, culture and society. She has interviewed Nobel Laureates in Economics, and has contributed to projects from the BBC, Channel4 and ARTE, among others. She holds a PhD in Social Science and teaches yoga.
Researcher for Turkey
Gülsin Harman is an Istanbul-based journalist who frequently contributes to The New York Times and BBC Monitoring. She has worked in cross-functional teams for enterprise stories, research projects and building products. After a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University in 2020, she was selected to join the Product Immersion Program at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. At NewsLabTurkey, she mentored local journalists in product thinking and narrative journalism. Her team developed a product prototype in the ICFJ’s News Innovation Lab to foster engagement and trust in journalism. She has also investigated coordinated digital harassment of journalists for the International Press Institute.
Researcher for Montenegro
Bojana Konatar is a policy researcher, project manager and consultant in the media sector. Over the last seven years she has been working with the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro, trying to map, research and improve the socio-economic and professional position of employees in the media. She has previously worked as a journalist as well as an associate at the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Montenegro. She is the author and co-author of numerous studies dealing with the socio-economic position of journalists, safety of journalists, media freedom and digital media, as well as studies dealing with the impact of defamation and insult lawsuits on journalists.
Researcher for Albania, Kosovo
Shkelqim Hysenaj is a senior journalist, social media producer and media activist. He has worked as a journalist for the main media outlets in Kosovo spanning television, newspapers and online. He also has several years’ worth of experience working in international media. In addition to working in journalism, Hysenaj was elected president of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo in 2016, organising and participating in various actions regarding the safety of journalists and media freedom in Kosovo, the region and beyond. In addition to journalism and activism, he offers consulting services in marketing and communications, especially to civil society organisations.
Researcher for Malta
Elizabeth De Gaetano works as a freelance writer and researcher. She collaborates with The Shift News and has also collaborated with international organisations such as the International Press Institute (IPI) and Are We Europe. Her work focuses on several aspects of press freedom in Malta, the impact of disinformation and propaganda campaigns, and how people consume information.
Researcher for Greece, Cyprus
Iliana Papangeli is a journalist and anthropologist based in Athens, Greece. She is the director of the Greek non-profit investigative outlet Solomon. She also co-authored The Logbook of Moria, which was shortlisted for the European Press Prize in 2021. In 2022, the same story won an IJ4EU Impact Award, a European award for cross-border investigative journalism. Papangeli was an IJ4EU fellow in 2021. She specialises in covering refugee issues, the environment and food systems. Her work has appeared in international outlets such as The New Humanitarian, Balkan Insight, Mediapart and openDemocracy.
Researcher for Poland
Dr Anna Wójcik is a researcher and journalist focusing on democratic backsliding in the European Union, media systems and freedom of expression. She has more than 10 years’ worth of experience working in successful media non-profit organisations in Poland as a journalist, manager and fundraiser. She has co-authored recent Freedom House Nations in Transit reports on Poland.
Researcher for Belarus
Artyom Liss is an experienced newsroom leader and media development specialist with a particular interest in Eastern Europe and a focus on the Belarusian and Russian markets. His expertise covers editorial management, broadcast-to-digital transitions and digital audio. He is also an award-winning broadcaster and on-air analyst, with a specialism in former Soviet Union countries. He covered the region extensively for the BBC, before taking on the management of the BBC’s European region. Since 2018, he has worked in media development, training and consulting with most independent Belarusian media outlets.
Researcher for Germany, Liechtenstein
J Wegner is a social impact and media researcher and consultant, who has worked with UNESCO, DW Akademie and fesmedia, among other organisations. Initially a practising journalist, J combined this with studies in International Development to focus on media development and more specifically, media innovation viability. J is also a Media Lab Bayern R&D fellow, exploring how journalism can help bring people into civic action and currently working as a Project Lead on Exile Journalism with Media in Cooperation and Transition. In addition, J is interested in exploring alternatives to traditional development models as a consultant, fundraiser and founder of two independent initiatives.
Researcher for Ireland
Shaun Lavelle is a freelance editor, journalist and media and communications consultant. Previously, he was a lecturer in English at the University of Amsterdam for five years before making a career switch into media. He was senior editor at The Correspondent, a member-funded news platform with more than 50,000 members. He also does communications and brand messaging for foundations, international organisations and NGOs.
Researcher for Belgium, Norway, Luxembourg
Daniela De Lorenzo is a reporter at POLITICO Europe, having freelanced as a journalist and researcher with media outlets such as Al Jazeera, Tortoise Media, BBC, Forbes, Deutsche Welle and Wired. She has lived in Belgium since 2017. She has been awarded three grants from the Journalism Fund to carry out in-depth and investigative journalist reportages, allowing her the possibility to give lectures on investigative journalist practices to students of the Thomas More postgraduate programme on International Investigative Journalism in Belgium.
Researcher for Austria, Switzerland
Henrike M. Hirnstein is a freelance analyst, project manager and policy advisor on media, digital transformation and international partnerships. She conducts research and supports organisations with advocacy, strategy development, project design and fundraising. From 2014 until 2020, she worked as a project manager for international development agencies, advising on human rights dialogue, media development and citizen engagement. In line with her interest in information and technology, she co-founded a company developing services based on open data.
Researcher for Denmark
Kristian Redhead Ahm has worked as a research assistant and lecturer at the University of Copenhagen, teaching and researching in digital media, news and infrastructure. He is currently employed as an assistant professor at the Danish School of Media and Journalism, where he continues his work on understanding the impact of digital convergence on the media sector. He recently co-authored a report for the European Union on the state of media pluralism and freedom in Denmark in 2021.
Researcher for France
Talía Olvera Martínez is a political scientist and linguist specialising in media innovation. She is a PhD candidate in Information and Communication Sciences at the Sorbonne University with a thesis on innovation and freedom of the independent press. She has worked as a political analyst, as a consultant for independent media organisations, as a French-Spanish translator, and as a lecturer in journalism and digital culture at various universities in France. Outside her work with the media, she has a particular interest in gender and migration issues and is an interpreter for asylum seekers in France.
Researcher for Slovenia
Miha Turk is a journalist, critic, essayist and curator based in Ljubljana. He has a degree in History and Philosophy and is also involved in EU and national advocacy in the field of human rights, the right to asylum, and migration.