معرفی
Dr. Elena Block is a Lecturer in Strategic and Political Communication at The University of Queensland's School of Communication and Arts, Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. She is also an Affiliate of the Centre for Communication and Social Change, contributing to their work on advocacy and the public good. Her academic profile reflects a deep engagement with contemporary challenges in political discourse and communication practices.
Dr. Block holds a PhD in Political Communication from The University of Queensland and an MSc from the London School of Economic and Political Science (LSE). Before her academic career, she accumulated substantial professional experience as a journalist, media relations and public affairs executive, which informs her practical understanding of communication dynamics in real-world contexts.
Her research program centers on two primary strands: the analysis of populist communication and the rise of disruptive, uncivil, and divisive discourses that challenge political dialogue and democracy; and the impact of virtual and human influencers on audiences in relation to traditional strategic communication, government PR, and propaganda. She has developed a critical framework for understanding populist communication styles, with particular focus on figures like Hugo Chávez and Donald Trump.
Dr. Block's publication record shows a consistent trajectory of scholarly contribution, with her most significant works being two books published by Routledge: 'Political Communication and Leadership: Mimetisation, Hugo Chavez and the Construction of Power and Identity' (2015) and 'Discursive Disruption, Populist Communication and Democracy: The Cases of Hugo Chávez and Donald J. Trump' (2022). Her recent work has expanded to examine virtual influencers (CGI characters) and their impact on public relations practices, pandemic communication strategies across different political systems, and the mediatisation of political discourse.
- Political Communication and Leadership: Mimetisation, Hugo Chavez and the Construction of Power and Identity (2015)
- Discursive Disruption, Populist Communication and Democracy: The Cases of Hugo Chávez and Donald J. Trump (2022)
Dr. Block actively supervises doctoral students across diverse topics reflecting her broad expertise, including environmental governance in China, intersectionality in US politics, crisis communication, and country image rebranding. As a media expert, she is frequently consulted on matters related to political communication, populism, strategic communication, Venezuela, and virtual influencers, demonstrating the real-world impact of her academic work.
