Václav Štětka is Professor of Digital Political Communication at the European News School of Digital Studies, European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder), where he has been working since February 2026. Before that, he was Professor of Media and Political Communication at Loughborough University in the UK, and he has held research and teaching posts at Masaryk University in Brno, Charles University in Prague, and the University of Oxford. In his research, he examines the relationship between communication technologies and the contemporary rise of illiberalism and the erosion of democracy, focusing particularly on the role of digital platforms and the region of Central and Eastern Europe. He is also interested in the challenges to media freedom and pluralism, as well as in the alternative communication ecosystems and proliferation and impact of disinformation. He has been contributing to several other international research projects and networks, including Media Pluralism Monitor (European University Institute, Florence) or Digital News Report (University of Oxford). His latest book is titled "The Illiberal Public Sphere: Media in Polarized Societies" (with S.Mihelj, 2024).
