Sofia Verza
Sofia Verza is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) at the European University Institute. As part of the “Media Pluralism Monitor” project, she focuses on safety of journalists, surveillance, SLAPPs and the independence of media authorities in Europe. In 2023 and 2024, she coordinated research on local media in Europe (“Local Media for Democracy”). In 2021 and 2022, she was coordinator of the “Study on Pluralism and Diversity in Online Media”, preparatory to the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).
She has been a visiting researcher at the Institute for Information Law (University of Amsterdam), Columbia University (New York), Bilgi University (Istanbul) and the University of Antwerp.
She has collaborated with the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) and the Global Freedom of Expression Initiative (Columbia University). Sofia Verza holds a PhD in Sociology of Communication from the University of Perugia and a law degree from the University of Trento.