Andy Ridgway

Andy Ridgway is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication in the Science Communication Unit at the University of the West of England (UWE). He leads UWE’s involvement with the EU-funded COALESCE project, creating a European Competence Centre for Science Communication. Andy conducts research into science journalism, AI, online trust and misinformation. He is a member of the ABSW Executive Board and a judge of the Medical Research Council’s (MRC) Max Perutz Science Writing Award.

Alice Fleerackers

Alice Fleerackers is Assistant Professor of Journalism and Civic Engagement in the Department of Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam. Her research examines the intersections of journalism, health and science communication, and scholarly communication. She is a member of the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis and the Taal en Cultuur sector plan programme. Beyond her work at UvA, Alice is also an (occasional) freelance writer, researcher at the ScholCommLab, Vice President of the Public Communication of Science and Technology Network (PCST), and co-founder and co-chair of PCST’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee.

Milica Pešić

Milica Pešić is the Executive Director of Media Diversity Institute (MDI), a London-based Charity set up in 1997. In her role, Milica has designed and supervised multi-national and multi-annual programmes in Europe, NIS, MENA, South Asia, the Sahel, Sub-Saharan Africa, China and, very recently, South America. She has co-designed an MA Course in Diversity and the Media, which was jointly run by the MDI and the University of Westminster for 12 years. Under her supervision, the MDI has supported journalism academics from more than 80 countries by helping them develop and teach modules and courses based on the MDI’s Inclusive Journalism concept. Journalist by profession, Milica has reported for Radio Free Europe, the BBC, The Times HES, TV Serbia, and other media. She holds an MA in International Journalism from City University, London. Before MDI, she had worked for New York University, the International Federation of Journalists (Brussels) and the Alternative Information Network (Paris). Milica initiated the Media Diversity Index, a unique barometer which has already been piloted in 17 countries in Europe and South America.

Jana Egelhofer (video)

Jana Laura Egelhofer (PhD, University of Vienna) is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Media and Communication of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Germany and part of the Munich Science Communication Lab. Her research focuses on science communication, political communication, and disinformation studies.

Maria Zuffova (video)

Maria Zuffova is a Research Fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute (EUI). She contributes to the BRRIDGE project, aimed at capacity building in research and fostering democratic engagement in Slovakia. Previously, she coordinated the Media Pluralism Monitor at the Centre for Media Pluralism and Freedom, overseeing policy analysis on freedom of expression, access to information, journalists’ protection, and independence of regulatory agencies.

Vera Novais [Moderator]

Vera Novais is a freelance science journalist with over a decade of experience in reporting for general news media. As the Community Manager for the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), Vera fosters a welcoming, inclusive environment for members, supporting their needs and helping strengthen the professional community. She also plays an active role in the international science journalism landscape, collaborating regularly with the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ).