Research cycle 1

Governance

Steering Committee

The role of the Steering Committee of the Observatory is to oversee the process of completing an authoritative report evaluating and synthesizing scientific contributions related to the challenges we face in the information ecosystem. This includes selecting initial priority themes for the first cycle of thematic evaluation reports, guiding the Research Assessment Panels and ensuring rigorous scientific standards.

USA

Courtney Radsch

Chair of the OID Streering Committee

Director, Center for Journalism & Liberty

Portugal

Gustavo Cardoso

Professor of Media and Sociology, Vice-Chair of the Observatory's Steering Committee

ISCTE-IUL

Timothy Garton Ash

Professor

Oxford University

Brazil

Luca Belli

Professor & Researcher

Fundação Getulio Vargas Law School, Rio de Janeiro, Center for Technology and Society

Israel

Niva Elkin-koren

Professor and Faculty Director

Chief Justice Meir Shamgar Center for Digital Law and Innovation, Faculty of Law, Tel-Aviv University

Sri Lanka

Helani Galpaya

CEO

LIRNEasia

USA

Frances Haugen

Algorithmic product expert, and advocate for accountability and transparency in social media

Co-founder, Beyond the Screen

Germany

Jeanette Hofmann

Director and Founder

Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society

USA

Nicol Turner Lee

Senior Fellow

Center for Technology Innovation, The Brookings Institution

India

Jhalak Mrignayani Kakkar

Executive Director

Center for Communication Governance (CCG), National Law University Delhi

Ansgar Koene

Global AI Ethics and Regulatory Leader

EY, and Senior Research Fellow, Horizon Digital Economy Research institute, University of Notthingham

Ivory Coast

Nnenna Nwakanma

Former Policy Director of the Web Foundation. Board Member of I-DAIR

Web Foundation, I-DAIR

Italy

Pier Luigi Parcu

Director

Center for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom and Centre for a Digital Society, European University Institute

South Africa

Admire Mare

Associate Professor and Head of Department: Communication and Media Studies

University of Johannesburg

USA

Jeremy Rifkin

Economist

Canada

Sonja Solomun

Deputy Director

Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, Mc Gill University

Lebanon

Ghassan Salamé

Former Minister of Culture of Lebanon, Emeritus Professor of International Relations

Sciences-Po Paris

USA

Stefaan Verhulst

Co-Founder and Chief Research and Development Officer as well as Director of GovLab's Data Program

The Governance Laboratory, New York University.

Argentina

Natalia Andrea Zuazo

Consultant, Communication and Information Sector,

UNESCO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean

Working Groups

Research Assessment Panels (RAP)

The Research Assessment Panels (RAPs) are the working bodies of the Observatory. Their role is to aggregate and synthesize state-of-the-art research on the information space and its impact on Democracy.

Research Assessment Panels are tasked to produce a report synthesising the main findings from research on the information and communication space. The report is addressed to governments, policymakers, regulatory bodies and civil society organisations to provide a common and shared understanding of the structure of the information and communication space.
Members of the Research Assessment Panels are in charge of sourcing and selecting academic resources through global calls for contributions and ensuring a scientific review of these contributions.
The Research Assessment Panels are led by the Observatory’s Scientific Director and Lead rapporteur, and supported by rapporteurs.
For the inaugural research cycle, three RAPs have worked respectively on:
- media, politics and trust;
- artificial intelligence, information ecosystems and democracy;
- and data governance and democracy.

Scientific Director of the Observatory

Prof. Robin Mansell

Professor Emerita in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The Observatory’s Scientific Director oversees and coordinates the production process of the Observatory’s report by steering and arbitrating on crucial scientific issues.
Prof. Robin Mansell has training in several social science disciplines and her research focus is on media and communications regulation and policy, internet governance, privacy and surveillance and digital platforms.

RAP on AI and democracy

Rob Procter

Professor & Lead Rapporteur of the Observatory

Alan Turing Institute

Austria

Matthias Kettemann

Inaugural Professor of Innovation, Theory and Philosophy of Law & AI Rapporteur of the Observatory

Head of the Department for Theory and Future of Law at the University of Innsbruck

USA/Kenya

Immaculate Odwera

VC Associate, Intellectual Property & Technology Law Assistant, AI Ethics & Policy

Center for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Policy

Sweden

Anass Sedrati

AI Governance Researcher

RISE - Research Institute of Sweden

Argyro Karanasiou

Associate Professor in Law & Innovation

University of Birmingham

India

Devika Mehta

Deputy Editor

Vishvas & Trust, Jagran New Media

Switzerland

Evelyne Tauchnitz

Senior Researcher and Lecturer

Institute of Social Ethics, University of Lucerne

USA

Galen Lamphere-englund

Co-Founder

Extremism and Gaming Research Network (EGRN)

Greece

Ioannis Kompatsiaris

Director

CERTH-ITI

Kate Wright

Senior Lecturer

University of Edinburgh

USA

Monica Lopez

Senior Executive Fellow Senior Executive Fellow

The Digital Economist

Italy

Paula Gori

Secretary-General and Coordinator

European Digital Media Observatory - European University Institute

South Africa

Scott Timcke

United States

Sharon Strover

Philip G. Warner Regents Professor of Communication and Co-Director

Technology & Information Policy Institute, University of Texas at Austin

The Netherlands

Shenja Van Der Graaf

Assistant Professor

Univeristy of Twente

France/UK

Shyam Krishna

AI Ethtics and Policy Researcher

UNESCO/Queen Mary University of London

United States

Theodora Skeadas

CEO

Tech Policy Consulting

Colombia

Umut Pajaro Velasquez

West Europe and Others Group Representative

Youth Coalition On Internet Governance

Vincent Obia

Leverhulme Early Career Fellow

University of Sheffield

China

Yik Chan Chin

Beijing Normal University

Associate Professor

RAP on Media, trust and democracy

Romania

Flavia Durach, PhD

Associate Professor & Media Rapporteur of the Observatory

College of Communication and Public Relations – National University for Political Studies and Public Administration, Bucharest

France

Théophile Lenoir

PhD candidate & Media Rapporteur of the Observatory

University of Milan / Science Po Media Lab

Canada

Anurag

PhD Candidate

University of Calgary

Beatriz Lopes Buarque

Fellow

LSE

Greece

Ioannis Kompatsiaris

Director

CERTH-ITI

Norway

Jens Barland

Associate Professor and Pro-Rector

Kristiana University College

Brazil

João Alexandre Peschanski

CEO

Wiki Movimento Brasil

Jose Luis Benitez

Project Manager, Regional Consortium to Support Independent Journalism in Latin America (CAPIR)

Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR)

Denmark

Jun Liu

Associate Professor

University of Copenhaguen

Kate Wright

Senior Lecturer

University of Edinburgh

Katie Pentney

DPhil Candidate

Faculty of Law, University of Oxford

Romania

Mădălina Boțan

Associate Professor

National School of Political Science and Public Administration

USA

Marlyn Tadros

Professor

Southern New Hampshire University

Finland

Minna Horowitz

Head of Interaction, DECA Research Consortium

University of Helsinki

Pauline Renaud

Visiting Lecturer

City St George's, University of London

Italy

Paula Gori

Secretary-General and Coordinator

European Digital Media Observatory - European University Institute

Zimbabwe

Reyhana Masters

Regional Sub Saharan Africa editor

International Freedom of Expression

Brazil

Rose Marie Santini

Netlab, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Director of Netlab, Associated Professor

Switzerland

Sacha Meuter

Fondation Hirondelle

United States

Stephen Mcdowell

Professor of Communication

Florida State University

The Netherlands

Theresa Josephine Seipp

Postdoctoral Researcher

Institute for Information Law, University of Amsterdam

RAP on Data Governance and democracy

USA

Emily Tucker

Executive Director & Data Rapporteur of the Observatory

Center on Privacy & Technology, Georgetown Law

India

Gyan P. Tripathi

Lawyer, technology policy researcher and digital rights advocate, Data Rapporteur of the Observatory

Hong Kong S.A.R.

Jenna Manhau Fung

Program Director

NetMission.Asia

Belgium

Joren Baillière

Research Associate

KU Leuven

The Netherlands

Michaela Sullivan-paul

Senior Research Officer

European Institute of Public Administration

USA

Monica Lopez

Senior Executive Fellow Senior Executive Fellow

The Digital Economist

The Gambia

Poncelet Ileleji

CEO

Jokkolabs Banjul

USA

Sahaj Vaidya

Director of Research and Innovation

The Mo Centre

United States

Sharon Strover

Philip G. Warner Regents Professor of Communication and Co-Director

Technology & Information Policy Institute, University of Texas at Austin

United States

Siddhartha Menon

Senior Writer and Rewiever

Outlier AI / Scale AI

Colombia

Umut Pajaro Velasquez

West Europe and Others Group Representative

Youth Coalition On Internet Governance

Consultative bodies

Stakeholder Advisory Group

The Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG) is composed of three subgroups representing different stakeholders working in the field of information, communication and democracy:
– The world of Research and Advocacy (a large network of NGOs and Academia representatives).
– States and Regulatory bodies (gathering all 55 States of the Partnership for information and democracy and regulatory representatives).
– Private tech companies

Network of academics / NGOs

Bangladesh

Ahm Bazlur Rahman

Chief Executive Officer

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication

Switzerland

Sacha Altay

Postdoctoral researcher

University of Zurich

France

Christine Balagué

Full Professor

Institut Mines-Télécom / IMT-BS

France

Raja Chatila

Professor Emeritus

Sorbonne University

Philippines

Yvonne Chua

Associate Professor

University of the Philippines

Tim Davies

Director of Research

Connected by Data

Colombia

Julian D. Cortés

Universidad del Rosario, Colombia

France

Olivier De Frouville

Professor, Director of the Paris Human Rights Center

Paris-Panthéon-Assas University

Canada

Maira Elahi

Founder

Transparent, Integrity-driven, Value-based, Ethical, Accountable

USA

Pari Esfandiari

President

Global TechnoPolitics Forum

France

Marc Faddoul

Director

AI Forensics

Colombia

Diego García-ramírez

Professor

Universidad del Rosario

United Kingdom

Sarah Hayes

Professor of Education & Research Lead for the School of Education

Bath Spa University

Cameroon

Jean Louis Fendji

Head of the Centre for Research, Experimentation and Production - EGCIM

University of Ngaoundere

The Netherlands

Agustin Ferrari Braun

Public Values in the Algorithmic Society, Universiteit van Amsterdam

Netherlands

Giovana Fleck

Civic Media Observatory Lead

Global Voices

Venezuela

Klaus Jaffe

Director

Centro de Estudios Estratégicos, Universidad Simon Bolivar

Brazil

Lauro Henrique Gomes Accioly Filho

American University (Washington DC)

USA

Cameron Hickey

CEO

National Conference on Citizenship

Dominican Republic

Yacine Khelladi

Coordinator

Fundación Taiguey

Germany

Anselm Küsters

Head of Department Digitalisation and New Technologies

Centre for European Policy, CEP, Berlin

Spain

Aurora Labio-bernal

Lecturer

University of Sevilla

Tanzania

Maxence M. Melo

JamiiForums

Japan

Jun Murai

Distinguished Professor

Keio University

USA/Kenya

Immaculate Odwera

VC Associate, Intellectual Property & Technology Law Assistant, AI Ethics & Policy

Center for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Policy

Finland

Henna Paakki

Doctoral researcher

Aalto University

the Netherlands

Charis Papaevangelou

Postdoctoral researcher

University of Amsterdam - Institute for Information Law

Belgium

Jo Pierson

Full Professor of Responsible Digitalisation

School of Social Sciences

United Kingdom

Phil Ramsey

Lecturer

Ulster University

United Kingdom

Felix M. Simon

Research Fellow in AI and News

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford

France

Anastasia Stasenko

CEO / Associate Lecturer

Université Sorbonne-Nouvelle

Melissa Terras

Professor of Digital Cultural Heritage

University of Edinburgh

Spain

Jorge Vázquez-herrero

Associate Professor of Journalism

University of Santiago de Compostela

France

Serge Abiteboul

Chercheur

Inria

South Africa

Research ICT Africa

Belgium

Alexandre Alaphilippe

Executive director

EU disinfo lab

Argentina

CONICET

France

Olivier Arifon

Professor

Université Catholique, Lille

Canada

Homa Azodi

Master's Candidate in International Studies

Université de Montréal

France

Christine Balague

institut Mines Telecom

Brian Ball

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Northeastern University London

Lebanon

Nouha Belaid

Professor

Central University of Tunis

USA

Wafa Ben Hassine

Principal

Omidyar Network

USA

Nick Benequista

Senior Director

Center for International Media Assistance

USA

Priyanjana Bengani

Senior Research Fellow

Tow Center for Digital Journalism, Columbia University

USA

Michael Best

Professor and Executive Director

Georgia Tech

Jonathan Birdwell

Head of Policy & Insights

Economist Impact

United Kingdom and Bulgaria

Kalina Bontcheva

Senior Research Leader and Professor of Text Analytics

University of Sheffield, UK

Brazil

Celina Bottino

Project director

Institute of Technology and Society - ITS

Lebanon

Maria Bou Zeid

Dean

Notre Dame University Louaize-NDU

Australia

Emma Briant

Associate Professor

Monash University

Philippines

The Ambit - Global Experts Network

USA

Julie Cohen

Mark Claster Mamolen Professor of Law & Technology

Georgetown University Law Center

Bulgaria

Petya Dankova

Assoc. Professor

University of Economics - Varna

Georgia

Nino Danelia

professor

Ilia State University

France

Primavera De Filippi

researcher

Harvard

Portugal

MiudosSegurosNa.Net, Sociedade Unipessoal, Lda.

Founder

Italy

Lucina Di Meco

Co-founder

#ShePersisted

France

Cyril Di Palma

Délégué Général

Génération Numérique

USA

Nicholas Diakopoulos

Professor

Northwestern University

Venezuela

Marianne Díaz Hernández

#WhyID Campaigner

Access Now

Senegal

Emmanuel Maurice Diokh

Président

Internet Sans Frontières

France

Cécile Dolbeau Bandin

Spain

Fundación Cibervoluntarios

Director of educational innovation and research

Peru

Democracia Digital

France

Divina Frau-meigs

Professeur et experte HLEG Commission Européenne

France

Pascal Froissart

Professeur des universités

Sorbonne Université – CELSA

Australia

Terry Flew

Professor of Digital Communication and Culture, ARC Laureate Fellow

The University of Sydney

Philippines

Liza Garcia

Executive Director

Foundation for Media Alternatives, Inc.

France

Rémy Gerbet

Executive Director

Wikimedia France

USA

Anna Gibson Anna

Postdoctoral Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Kenya

Grace Githaiga

CEO/Convenor

KICTANet

France

Rachel Griffin

Science Po Paris

France

Arthur Grimopont

Ingénieur et essayiste

Reporter Sans Frontiers

Iceland

Jón Gunnar ólafsson

Assistant Professor

University of Iceland

Colombia

Armando Guio

Executive Director

Global Network of Centers

Cameroon

Birwe Habmo

Social Development Consultant

World Bank Africa

USA

Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT)

USA

Marci Harris

Executive Director

POPVOX Foundation

Czechia

Pavel Havlicek

Research Fellow

Association for International Affairs (AMO) in Prague

Belgium/Hungary

Fanny Hidvegi

Europe Policy & Advocacy Director

Access Now

Germany

Viet Hoang

Civic Education Officer

Amadeu Antonio Foundation

Belgium

Charles Howard

Head of Research

ThinkYoung

United Kingdom

Dimitrios Kalogeropoulos

Chief Executive

Global Health & Digital Innovation Foundation

Ivory Coast

Wally Karim

Enseignant-chercheur

Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny d'Abidjan-Cocody

Irini Katzirea

Reader in International Media Law

Centre for Freedom of the Media Journalism Studies University of Sheffield

Cameroon

Jean-louis Kendieng Ebongue Fendji

Associate Professor

University of Ngaoundere

Togo

Olévié A. A. Kouami

CTO

INTIC4DEV

France

Mehdi Khamassi

Research director

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique / Sorbonne University

Germany

Ulrike Klinger

Professor of Digital Democracy

European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder)

Germany

Stefan Krabbes

Blogger

Norway

Arne H. Krumsvik

Professor

Kristiania University College

India

Amitabh Kumar

Chief Impact Officer

Social Media Matters

Slovakia

Rasťo Kužel

Executive Director

MEMO 98

Mexico

Horacio Larreguy

Associate Professor of Economics and Political Science

ITAM

Netherlands

Paddy Leerssen

Postdoctoral researcher (information law)

University of Amsterdam

Germany

Michel Leroy Michel

Postdoc researcher/Erich-Brost Institute for International Journalism

Finland

Amaury Lesplingart

CTO

CheckFirst

United Kingdom

Petros Iosifidis

City St George's, University of London

Benin

Wenceslas Mahoussi

Directeur

Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD)

Belgium

The Lisbon Council

Carl Miller

Founder

CASM Technology

Cameroun

Charlie Martial Ngounou

President

AfroLeadership

Belgium

Enguerrand Marique

Tanzania

Maxence Mubyazi

Executive Director

JamiiForums

Argentina

Eugenia Michelstein

Associate professor, Co-Director and Chair

Universidad de San Andrés, Department of Social Sciences, Center for the Study of Media and Society in Argentina (MESO)

Slovakia

Jozef Michal Mintal

Assistant Professor and Co-Director

Matej Bel University

France

ODI

Uganda

Judith Murungi

Research Associate

Young African Policy Research Hub (YAPORH)

Zambia

Esther Mwema

Founder and Chief Strategist

Digital Grassroots

Pakistan

Waqas Naeem

Programme Officer

International Media Support

Uganda

Lillian Nalwoga

Programmes Associate

CIPESA

Kenya

Racheal Nakitare

Coordinator of activities

International Association of Women in Radio and Television, Kenya Chapter

Belgium

Diego Naranjo

Head of Policy

European Digital Rights (EDRi)

Suisse

Lê Nguyên Hoang

Co-founder and CEO Co-founder and President

Calicarpa SARL Tournesol Association

Rasmus Nielsen

director

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism

Finland

Hannu Nieminen

Professor

University of Helsinki

Nigeria

Jimson Olufuye

Chairman of the Advisory Council

Africa ICT Alliance - AfICTA

Kenya

Elizabeth Orembo

Research Fellow at Research ICT Africa

United States

Aviv Ovadya

Affiliate

Berkman Klein Center

Belgium

The Lisbon Council

Cyprus

Venetia Papa

Assistant Professor

University of Cyprus

Alexandra Pardal

Campaigns Director

Digital Action

USA

Marianna Poyares

Postdoctoral Associate

Center on Privacy & Technology, Georgetown Law

Austria

Nina Poxleitner

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

wirkt. Social Innovation

Malaysia

Jean F. Queralt

Founder & CEO

The IO Foundation

Germany

Simone Rafael

Lead Digital Empowerment and chief editor www.belltower.news

Amadeu Antonio Foundation

Serbia

Danica Radovanović

senior internet tech professional, an expert on digital inclusion, digital literacy, and child online safety.

ITU (International Telecommunication Union), and UiO (University of Oslo), Norway

USA

Lee Rainie

Incoming director

Elon University Imagining the Internet Center

Indonesia

Pradipa P. Rasidi

Independent researcher

India

Trisha Ray

Fellow

Atlantic Council

USA

The Datasphere Initiative and Boston University

Co-founder and Director for Policy and Research; Law Lecturer

Spain

Fundación Cibervoluntarios

Founder and President

Democracy Reporting International

USA

Melanie Smith

Head of Research

ISD US

USA

Anya Schiffrin

Director and lecturer on global media, innovation and human rights

Columbia University, Technology, Media, and Communications at the School of International and Public Affairs

Brazil

Daniel Schwabe

Scholar

Independent Researcher

Germany

Independent Researcher & RESET

Researcher & Author

South Korea

Kyung Sin Park

Executive Director, Professor

Open Net, Korea University

India

Jagtar Singh

Professor and Head, Department of Library and Information Science; University Librarian, and Chairperson, Human Resource Development Cell

Guru Kashi University

Glitch

Head of Policy, Research, and Campaigns

Spain

General Council of Computer Engineering

President

USA

Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT)

Democracy Reporting International

United States

Fernando Trincado

MA Legal and Political Theory

University College London

Henry Tuck

Head of Digital Policy

Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD)

Chile

NGO Amaranta

Belgium

AWO

Director

India

Internet Freedom Foundation

Policy Director

Germany

Stefanie Walter

Researcher, Principal Investigator

Technical University of Munich

Indonesia

Dolly Wong

Professional member

UN Interagency Task Team on STI for the SDGs (IATT)

United Kingdom

Andrew White

Senior Lecturer in Culture, Media & Creative Industries

King's College London

USA

Kaliya Young

Network Director

Planetwork

Cameroon

EDUK-MEDIA

Luminate

Director - Campaigns and Media

States and regulators

The International Partnership for Information and Democracy is an intergovernmental non-binding agreement endorsed by 55 countries around the world to promote and implement democratic principles in the global information and communication space. It was formally signed during the 74th UN General Assembly in September 2019.