معرفی
Dr. Ike Picone is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). He leads the News: Uses, Strategies & Engagements unit within imec-SMIT (Studies on Media, Innovation, and Technology) and directs the Flemish Knowledge Centre for Media Research. His research focuses on evolutions in news consumption, digital media environments, and qualitative user research methods like digital ethnography. He actively contributes to the annual Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report.
Key roles include membership in the Journalism Council and the Scientific Advisory Board of the Hannah Arendt Institute. External positions include advisory roles at Roskilde University, KU Leuven, and the Belgian government’s Expert Group on Fake News. His research spans projects like ReMed (resilient media for democracy) and SHALGO (algorithmic systems research).
Research interests highlight media use patterns, digital disinformation, and the intersection of technology with journalism and democracy. Recent studies explore news avoidance during the pandemic, LGBTQ+ digital inclusivity, and the role of media finances in combating fake news.
Awarded the Junior Researcher Award (2007), Picone has authored over 100 publications, including peer-reviewed articles and chapters. Supervised over 120 theses, such as studies on media repertoires and platform governance. Active in policy briefs on media clusters and public broadcasting trust, his work bridges academic research with real-world media challenges.
