Ioanna Kostarella

Profile

Short biography

Ioanna Kostarella

Academic Trajectory & Research Interests

Ioanna Kostarella is Associate Professor of Journalism at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with extensive professional experience as a journalist. Since 2001, she has been writing the daily column “Metaxy Mas” in Chronos of Kozani. She teaches courses in her field at both undergraduate and postgraduate level and has collaborated with numerous postgraduate programmes offered by other departments and universities. Her scholarly work includes publications in leading international academic journals in the field, such as Journalism, Journalism Practice, and Digital Journalism, while she has also edited collective volumes. She is currently the principal investigator for the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki team in the European Union-funded ECHO project, which focuses on media literacy. Her research interests include journalism and new media, journalism and Artificial Intelligence, media literacy, and communication for development and social change.

Curriculum Vitae

Detailed CV

Education

  1. PhD - University of Leeds

    Thesis: "Media coverage of foreign policy events and political conflict: a longitudinal analysis of press-parliament relationship in the framework of Greek-Turkish relations of the period 1996-1999".

  2. Master's in Communication Studies - University of Leeds

  3. BA in Journalism and Mass Media - Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Scholarships

  1. 2002 - 2003

    Botsis Foundation Scholar

    For the academic year 2002-2003, for doctoral thesis research.

Awards & Honors

  1. 2005

    Best article in the regional press award - General Secretariat for Communication / Information

Professional experience

  1. 2017 - Present

    Faculty member - Department of Journalism & Mass Media, AUTh

  2. 2014 - 2017

    Head of Information & Communication of the Operational Programme - Region of Western Macedonia

  3. 2005 - 2014

    Press officer - Municipality of Eordaia

  4. 2000 - 2005

    Journalist - "O Chronos" newspaper, Kozani

Teaching in other departments / universities

  1. 2017 - Present

    Department of Political Sciences, AUTh

  2. 2014 - 2017

    MSc Sustainable Environmental and Natural Resource Management - Department of Forestry, Democritus University

  3. 2000 - 2017

    Scientific collaborator, Department of Digital Media and Communication - TEI of Western Macedonia

Administrative experience

  1. 2025 - Present

    Member, Advisory Committee for the Establishment and Operation of University Laboratories - AUTh

  2. Erasmus+ coordinator - Department of Journalism & Mass Media, AUTh

  3. 2025 - Present

    Member, Committee for the Prevention of Youth Delinquency - Municipality of Thessaloniki

  4. Member, European Sociological Association

  5. 2021 - Present

    Member, Joint MSc Committee "Strategic Studies" - AUTh and ADISPO

  6. Botsis Foundation Scholar

  7. 2019 - Present

    Head of the Journalism Track - Department of Journalism & Mass Media, AUTh

  8. 2025 - Present

    Member, Curriculum Committee - Department of Journalism & Mass Media, AUTh

  9. 2024 - Present

    Member, Subject Areas Committee - Department of Journalism & Mass Media, AUTh

  10. 2021 - 2025

    Member, Interdepartmental Committee of the MSc "ICT: Law and Media"

  11. 2018 - Present

    Erasmus coordinator - Department of Journalism & Mass Media, AUTh

  12. 2019 - Present

    Member, MSc Journalism Steering Committee

  13. 2024 - Present

    Member, MSc Communication Steering Committee

  14. 2018 - 2025

    Member, Erasmus Committee, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences

  15. 2018 - Present

    Member, Erasmus Committee, Department of Journalism & Mass Media

  16. 2001 - 2010

    Member, European Network of Greek Women Journalists

  17. Founding member, Friends of the Kozani Municipal Library

  18. Member, Trainers Registry, EOPPEP

  19. 2005 - Present

    Member, Trainers Registry, National Centre for Public Administration

  20. 2007 - 2010

    Vice-president, Institute for Book and Reading of Kozani

  21. 2009 - 2015

    Member and PR officer, Pro-tasis Citizens Network

  22. Member, e-Government Project Team - Region of Western Macedonia

    The "Open Regional Council" proposal was presented at the Open Government Partnership International Summit in Paris, December 2016.

  23. Member, Regional Development Planning Group - Region of Western Macedonia

    Drafting of the 2015-2019 Operational Programme.

Scientific Committee membership

  1. 2024

    Scientific Committee, 3rd Annual Greek-language Conference of Communication Laboratories (CClabs 2024)

  2. 2024

    Scientific Committee, online conference "Rethinking What We Know About Risk, Crisis and Disaster Communication" - Department of Digital Media and Communication, University of Western Macedonia

    29-30 November 2024.

Reviewer for journals

  1. Journalism (Sage)

  2. Journalism and Media (MDPI)

  3. Online Information Review (Emerald Publishing)

  4. Societies (MDPI)

  5. Sustainability (MDPI)

  6. Journalism Practice (SAGE)

  7. European Union Politics (SAGE)

  8. Children and Youth Services Review (Elsevier)

Invited lectures / talks

  1. 2026

    Keynote speaker, SCON26 Conference - Department of Digital Media and Communication, Argostoli, Kefalonia

    18-19 May 2026.

  2. 2025

    Speaker, workshop "Disinformation and fake news in health topics" - Laboratory for the Study of Medical Law and Bioethics, AUTh

    3 December 2025.

  3. 2025

    Speaker, Panhellenic Regional Press Conference "AI in regional newsrooms", Chania, Crete

    4-5 April 2025.

  4. 2024

    Speaker, IMEdD International Forum (M3C), Athens

    Workshop "Understanding Tampered Images/Deep Fakes Impact by Monitoring User Reactions through Attention Detection Mechanisms", 26-28 September 2024.

  5. 2022

    Lecturer, talk "The image on social media" - MOMus - Thessaloniki Museum of Photography

    Within a visual literacy seminar, 28 April - 26 May 2022.

  6. 2022

    Speaker, workshop "State subsidies and the local press: The European experience" - Association of Daily Regional Newspapers, Chania

    23-24 June 2022.

  7. 2022

    Lecturer, talk "Environment through documentary films" - Alexandria Film Festival, Alexandria

    30 June 2022.

  8. 2022

    Speaker, workshop "Regional Press - the day after" - Local News Initiative, IMEdD, Thessaloniki

    1 July 2022.

Languages

  1. English - proficient (C2)

  2. German (Β2)

  3. Italian (Β2)