Simone BENAZZO

Bio

Keywords: independent media, autocratization, resistance, Central and Southeastern Europe

 
Investigating practices of resistance among independent media in autocratizing countries
Scholarship on authoritarianism has long noted that media independence, albeit limited and contested, persists in hybrid regimes (Diamond 2022; Egorov, Guriev & Sonin 2009). As Levitsky and Way point out, “In competitive authoritarian regimes (..) Independent media exist and civic and opposition groups can operate above ground” (2010, 8).
However, researchers' attention has been primarily devoted to studying the incumbent’s actions, and his attempt to capture the media and repress critical voices (Enikolopov & Petrova 2015; Prat 2015). In Europe, illiberal rulers in Turkey (Akser & Baybars-Hawks 2012; Coşkun 2020; Finkel 2021) and Hungary (Ágh 2015; Bajomi-Lázár 2013; Bátorfy & Urbán 2020) have poured the most resources into this endeavor.

At the same time, the burgeoning research on democratic resilience (Boese et al. 2021 & Lührmann 2021) and resistance (Tomini et al. 2022; Vanderhill 2020) has identified independent media among the key players in preventing and, ideally, reversing autocratization.

Both literatures indirectly allude to the active role that critical journalism can play in holding autocratic rulers to account, even under hostile conditions.

Yet, this very role has remained largely unexplored.

As a basic theoretical reference, this research understands autocratizing regimes as “informational autocracies” (Guriev & Treisman 2019; 2020), namely regimes where leaders aim first and foremost to persuade their public of their competence, and rely on mass terror and fear only seldom. In such regimes, transparency can turn into an existential threat for the incumbents’ survival, as it is likely to trigger large-scale mobilization and collective action (Christensen & Groshek 2020; Hollyer, Rosendorf & Vreeland 2015). Accordingly, independent media’s impact maximizes during critical junctures, such as mass protests (Pleines and Somfalvy 2022).

Moving from the assumption that independent media operate to target “pivotal audiences” (Corduneanu-Hucia & Alexander Hamilton 2022) to fuel resistance to autocratization, the present work intends to provide empirically-sound answers to two research questions:

        -  How do independent media resist autocratization?
        -  Why do some independent media succeed in resisting autocratization, whereas others don’t?

The research will revolve around a comparative analysis of four autocratizting countries in Central and Southeastern Europe: Serbia, Hungary, Poland and Turkey.


        

CV

Parcours académique  
2016 - 2017: Master en Études européennes interdisciplinaires (domaine: L'Union européenne et ses voisins, note finale: excellent), Collège d’Europe, Natolin (Pologne)

2013 - 2016: Master en Relations Internationales (domaine: Balkans Occidentaux, note finale: 110 cum laude / 110), Université de Turin (Italie)

2010 - 2013: Bachelier en Sciences de la Communication, (domaine: Sémiotique, note finale: 110 cum laude / 110), Université de Bologne (Italie)

Écoles d'été
Août 2020:Thessaloniki International Media Summer Academy (en ligne)

Juillet 2016: Engaging Conflict (Université de Turin, Italie)

Juin 2016: Nationalism, Religion & Violence (Charles University, Prague, Tchéquie)
 
Expériences professionnelles  
Depuis avril 2021: producteur de podcast chez Bulle Media, Bruxelles (Belgique)

Décembre 2016 -  Août 2021: journaliste indépendant spécialisé sur les Balkans et l’Europe de l’Est: 274 articles/reportages pour 22 médias, parmi lesquels Euronews, Balkan Insight, Le Grand Continent et Le Courrier des Balkans.

Novembre 2018 - Avril 2019: stage à Limes, Italian review of geopolitics, Rome (Italie)

Mars 2018 - Juillet 2018: “Bluebook internship” à la Commission européenne (Service du porte-parole, Affaires étrangèrs; porte-parole: Maja Kocijančič), Bruxelles (Belgique)
* Membre de l’Ordre des journalistes italiens depuis juillet 2021.  
 
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EDUCATION (2010-2017)
2016 - 2017: M.A. in European Studies (field: The EU and its neighbors, final grade: excellent) at the College of Europe, Natolin (Poland)

2013 - 2016: M.A. in International Relations (field: Western Balkans, final grade: 110 cum laude / 110), University of Turin (Italy)

2010 - 2013: Bachelor in Communication Studies (field: Semiotics, final grade: 110 cum laude / 110), University of Bologna  (Italy)

Summer schools:
Aug 2020:Thessaloniki International Media Summer Academy (online)

Jul 2016: Engaging Conflict (University of Turin, Italy)

Jun 2016: Nationalism, Religion & Violence (Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic)
 
WORK (2016-2021)
Since Apr 2021: podcast maker at Bulle Media, Brussels (Belgium)

Dec 2016 - Aug 2021: freelance contributor and reporter with a focus on Western Balkans and Central-Eastern Europe. Total: 274 contributions (articles, policy analyses or reportages), for 22 news outlets, such as Euronews, Balkan Insight, Le Grand Continent and Le Courrier des Balkans.

Nov 2018 - Apr 2019: Internship at Limes, Italian review of geopolitics, Rome (Italy)

Mar 2018 - July 2018: Bluebook internship at the European Commission (Spokesperson service, Office of Foreign Affairs, spokesperson: Maja Kocijančič), Brussels (Belgium)
* Member of the Italian Order of Journalist since Jul 2021.  

 

Domaines d'intérêt

Sciences Politiques, Relations Étrangères / Political Science, Foreign Relations
 

Présentation des enseignements

Séminaire de préparation du travail de fin d'études (POLI-D522)

Introduction to Research in Political Science (POLI-D213)

Contemporary Political Issues (POLI-D108)
 

Travaux sélectionnés

[English below]
 
Publications
- “Which reconciliation do “new museums” contribute to? Insights from Sarajevo”, in Dennis Dierks, Stefan Berger et Chantal Kesteloot (edit), Public History on the Battlefields of Europe. Experiences of Dealing with Painful Pasts in Former Yugoslavia, De Gruyter, Oldenbourg [l'oeuvre sera publiée le 13 février 2022].
- “Memories on the Move: Experiencing Mobility, Rethinking the Past (revue de livre)”, Memory Studies 12 (1), 101-103, février 2019, doi: 10.1177/1750698018811995b.
- “Not All the Past Needs To Be Used: Features of Fidesz’s Politics of Memory”, Journal of Nationalism Memory & Language Politics 11(2), 198-221, janvier 2018, doi: https://doi.org/10.1515/jnmlp-2017-0009.  
- “Western Balkan memory games”, New Eastern Europe 27 (3/4), 48-54, mai/août 2017.
Présentations aux conférences académiques
- “Brussels Calling. Changes And Continuities In Fyrom’s Foreign Policy Under Zoran Zaev”, à la conférence The EU and the Balkans at the End of the Second Decade of the 21st Century, University of Peloponnese (4-5 juin 2018, Corinthe, Gréce)
- “«History Gives Hungarians No Reason to Feel Threatened by Russia.» How the Narrative Of Russia Has Changed In Viktor Orbán’s Illiberal Democracy”, à la conférence Uncertainty: Perspectives from Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, 15th UCL SSEES Biennial International Postgraduates (12–14 fèvrier 2018, University Central London, Londres, Royaume Uni)
- “Everything is Not Illuminated Yet: The Quest for Transnational Memory”, à la conférence Public and Applied History on the Battlefield of Europe. Dealing with Painful Pasts in the 20th Century, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (7-9 Novembre 2017, Jena, Allemagne)
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PUBLICATIONS
- “Which reconciliation do “new museums” contribute to? Insights from Sarajevo”, in Dennis Dierks, Stefan Berger et Chantal Kesteloot (edit), Public History on the Battlefields of Europe. Experiences of Dealing with Painful Pasts in Former Yugoslavia, De Gruyter, Oldenbourg [to be published on 13 February 2022].
- “Memories on the Move: Experiencing Mobility, Rethinking the Past (book review)”, Memory Studies 12 (1), 101-103, February 2019, doi: 10.1177/1750698018811995b.
- “Not All the Past Needs To Be Used: Features of Fidesz’s Politics of Memory”, Journal of Nationalism Memory & Language Politics 11(2), 198-221, January 2018, doi: https://doi.org/10.1515/jnmlp-2017-0009.  
- “Western Balkan memory games”, New Eastern Europe 27 (3/4), 48-54, May/August 2017.
PAPER PRESENTED AT ACADEMIC CONFERENCES
- “Brussels Calling. Changes And Continuities In Fyrom’s Foreign Policy Under Zoran Zaev”, at the conference The EU and the Balkans at the End of the Second Decade of the 21st Century, University of Peloponnese (4-5 June 2018, Corinh, Greece)
- “«History Gives Hungarians No Reason to Feel Threatened by Russia.» How the Narrative Of Russia Has Changed In Viktor Orbán’s Illiberal Democracy”, at the conference Uncertainty: Perspectives from Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, 15th UCL SSEES Biennial International Postgraduates (12–14 February 2018, University Central London, London, United Kingdom)
- “Everything is Not Illuminated Yet: The Quest for Transnational Memory”, at the conference Public and Applied History on the Battlefield of Europe. Dealing with Painful Pasts in the 20th Century, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (7-9 November 2017, Jena, Germany)