Mercedes Muñoz Saldaña

Mercedes Muñoz Saldaña is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Communication at the Faculty of Communication, University of Navarra. She is a leading academic in media regulation, public service media, and digital policy, and coordinates the Doctoral Program in Communication. Her work is closely tied to the research group PerComPolDem, focusing on journalism, political communication, and democracy.

• University: University of Navarra
• School: Faculty of Communication
• Department: Department of Public Communication
• Academic Rank: Associate Professor
• Email: mms@unav.es

Her educational background includes a PhD from the University of Navarra with a thesis on television as a service of general economic interest from a European perspective, supervised by Dr. Ana Azurmendi.

Mercedes Muñoz Saldaña's research centers on public service media in the digital age, media literacy, advertising regulation, and the protection of minors in audiovisual environments. She explores how European policies shape national media frameworks, especially in Spain, and advocates for co-regulation and multilevel governance models. Her work emphasizes the importance of media education for citizens, particularly youth and educators, in navigating digital media landscapes.

Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on EU media policy, including the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, the Digital Markets Act, and the European Media Freedom Act. She analyzes how these regulations impact public service media in Spain and calls for adaptive governance. Her scholarship spans legal, educational, and policy dimensions of communication, with a consistent emphasis on democratic values, pluralism, and citizen participation.

Notable scientific contributions include her analysis of co-regulation mechanisms in Spain, particularly the CoAN codes, and her work on media literacy as a universal right. She has published extensively on the transformation of public television in digital and multiplatform environments.

She has supervised doctoral students and collaborates with researchers across Europe. Her work is supported by document analysis and policy evaluation methodologies, often contributing to national and European regulatory debates. She is actively involved in academic conferences and contributes to shaping media policy discourse.

Mercedes Muñoz Saldaña is a key member of the PerComPolDem research group, which investigates the intersection of communication, politics, and democratic processes in contemporary media systems. Her work bridges legal scholarship with communication studies, offering interdisciplinary insights into media governance.