Michal Bočák

Michal Bočák is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and Media Studies at the Faculty of Arts, University of Prešov in Prešov, Slovakia. He also serves as a visiting lecturer in gender and queer studies at the Department of Journalism, Palacký University in Olomouc, Czech Republic. His academic career includes serving as Vice-Dean for Educational Affairs (2021-2023) and previously as chair of the Department of Communication and Media Studies (2012-2021).

Bočák earned his PhD in general linguistics from the University of Prešov in 2008, followed by a habilitation procedure in general linguistics in 2020. His educational background includes an MA in phonetics & media studies from the University of Prešov (2005).

His research primarily focuses on media representations of identities, particularly gender and sexuality, discourse theory, and methods of discourse analysis. He has conducted extensive analysis of culinary magazines and television news formats, examining how they construct representations of food, tradition, and national identity. His work bridges semiotics, cultural studies, and media theory, with particular attention to queer theory applications in media analysis.

Bočák's publications demonstrate a consistent focus on discourse analysis frameworks, with significant contributions to understanding how media texts construct meaning through intertextuality, representation, and discursive positioning. His work spans traditional media formats like television news to digital spaces including web pornography.

As an editorial board member for Media Studies: Journal for Critical Media Inquiry and Jazyk a kultúra [Language and Culture], Bočák actively contributes to scholarly discourse in his field. He is also a member of the Center for Cultural, Media and Communication Studies in Olomouc, Czech Republic.

His academic leadership includes serving as Vice-Dean for Educational Affairs and previously as department chair, demonstrating his commitment to academic administration alongside his research and teaching responsibilities. His work editing conference proceedings and academic collections shows his engagement with the broader scholarly community.