Mariia Aleksevych is a doctoral candidate and research associate at the Division Media Politics and Media Economics at the University of Salzburg. In 2023 she obtained a double Master of Science in Digital Communication Leadership (DCLead) and International Development from the University of Salzburg and Wageningen University in the Netherlands, graduating with distinction.

Her doctoral research examines the macro conditions and micro effects of media ownership — from structural patterns of media ownership across EU countries to their effects on institutional trust in media. Her master’s thesis investigated affective polarisation in climate change discussions on Australian Twitter, drawing on discourse theories.

Prior to her academic career, she worked as a communications expert, media professional, and journalist in various international development projects and missions, including the EU Advisory Mission and the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, in her home country Ukraine. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a specialist degree in International Information from Dnipropetrovsk National University (Ukraine). Her research interests include the effects of communication technologies on democracy and the interrelations between media, technology, power, and social justice.