About the Media Influence Matrix

The Media Influence Matrix (MIM) is a global research program that analyzes how regulation, ownership, funding, technology, and platforms shape the public information environment. Launched in 2017, MIM has grown into one of the broadest comparative media research initiatives, providing evidence-based insight into how information power operates across countries.

The Media Influence Matrix has become in time the central framework for the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC). As part of MJRC’s methodological revamp and new strategic direction from 2025 on, the Global Media Finances Map (GMFM), which was hosted on this website, has been fully folded into MIM. This integration makes it possible to connect political, economic, and technological influence in a single analytical framework.

Why MIM?

The information environment is undergoing systemic transformation. Traditional media structures now coexist, and compete, with:

• Digital platforms
• Artificial intelligence systems
• Cloud infrastructures and telecom operators
• Data brokers and advertising technologies
• Algorithmic distribution channels
• Emerging quantum and secure communication networks

The Media Influence Matrix has been redesigned in 2025 to help researchers, policymakers, journalists, and civil society understand this complex ecosystem, its power relations, and its impact on public knowledge and democracy.

A New Strategic Direction (2025)

In 2025, MJRC launched a major methodological revamp of the Media Influence Matrix. The new strategy includes:

• Integrating GMFM into MIM, so that financial and structural data are part of the same analytical environment
• Expanding coverage to include AI firms, technology platforms, data infrastructures, and algorithmic systems
• Transforming narrative country reports into databases that can be compared across countries and over time
• Linking regulatory, financial, and technological influence into a unified model of the information sphere

This redesign strengthens MIM as a long-term analytical framework capable of capturing the realities of an AI-era information ecosystem.

You can read the new methodology here: Media Influence Matrix – Methodology 2025+

The Media Influence Matrix Framework

MIM is built around three major pillars of analysis:

1. Regulation & Policy Influence
   Mapping formal and informal political, regulatory, and institutional actors that shape the rules and governance of the information space.
2. Provenance and Funding Mapping
   Examining ownership, capital structures, funding flows, and financial pressures that affect media and information systems.
3. Technology, Platforms & AI Infrastructure
   Analyzing platforms, telecommunications, AI firms, and technological systems that determine how information is produced, distributed, and monetized.

The Integration of the Global Media Finances Map (GMFM)

Since 2018, the Global Media Finances Map (GMFM) has mapped financial and ownership data from media and information companies across dozens of countries, tracking revenues, profits, employment, and concentration over time.

In 2025, GMFM was fully integrated into the Media Influence Matrix as part of MJRC’s methodological revamp. This integration:

• Consolidates financial and structural data into the MIM framework
• Strengthens the economic backbone of country analyses
• Enhances comparability across time and geography
• Supports a database-driven approach to understanding the information sphere

GMFM continues to exist as a distinct brand within MIM, but now shares the same methodological foundations, data structures, and comparative lens.

Media Influence Matrix Research Team

The Media Influence Matrix is carried out by an international network of researchers and contributors. Below is the list of country research teams and contributors associated with the project.

Argentina

Guillermo Mastrini
Guillermo Mastrini holds a PhD in Information Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid. He works as a Professor of International Communication Policies and Introduction to Cultural Industries at the National University of Quilmes where he co-founded the Master’s Degree Program in Cultural Industries. He is also Professor at the University of Buenos Aires and a CONICET Research Associate. He is the author of several books, including Las políticas de comunicación del Siglo XXI (2013), Los dueños de palabra (with Martín Becerra) (2009), Periodistas y magnates. Estructura y concentración de las industrias culturales en América Latina (with Martín Becerra, 2006), and Mucho ruido, pocas leyes. Economía y política en la comunicación en la Argentina (1920–2004) (2005). He was President of the Argentine Federation of Social Communication Careers and Director of the Communication Sciences Career of the University of Buenos Aires.

Carla Belén Repetto
Carla Belén Repetto holds a degree in Social Communication from the National University of Quilmes (UNQ). She works as a researcher in the Research Training Scholarship Program for Students in their final stage of the Degree Career (BEFI) and studies business models in broadcasting media in Buenos Aires. She is also a member of the Research Center Cultural Industries, Communication Policies and Public Space (ICEP) of the Department of Social Sciences of UNQ.

Martín Razzeto
Martín Razzeto has a degree in Social Communication from the National University of Quilmes (UNQ). He is a teaching and research fellow at the same university and studies pay television companies and content producers.

Brazil

Guillermo Mastrini
In Brazil, Guillermo Mastrini works as a Professor at the National University of Quilmes and the University of Buenos Aires and is an independent researcher at CONICET. He has served as visiting professor at the Federal University of Espírito Santo.

Rafael Paes Henriques
Rafael Paes Henriques holds a PhD in Philosophy from UFRJ, with two post-doctoral internships in Communication (UFBA and UFES). He is a professor in the Department of Social Communication at UFES and in the Postgraduate Program in Communication and Territorialities at the same institution.

Gabriela Maia Peterle Reis
Gabriela Maia Peterle Reis is a journalism undergraduate at the Federal University of Espírito Santo and co-author of the article “Journalistic theory and practice: initial reflections on gender issues, choice of sources, intersectionality and the GMMP methodology.”

Igor Miranda Dadalto
Igor Miranda Dadalto is a journalism student at the Federal University of Espírito Santo.

Larissa Cors
Larissa Cors is a journalism undergraduate at the Federal University of Espírito Santo.

Letícia Tononi Fortaleza
Letícia Tononi Fortaleza is a journalism student at the Federal University of Espírito Santo.

Matheus Aldyr Moraes
Matheus Aldyr Moraes is a journalism student at the Federal University of Espírito Santo.

Bulgaria

Mariia Altergot
Mariia Altergot was a researcher with the Center for Media, Data and Society. She graduated from the MA program of the School of Public Policy at Central European University (CEU) where she focused on media and Internet policies. She is from Russia and holds a BA in Political Science and Policy and Communications from the American University in Bulgaria.

Colombia

Gabriel Ernesto Levy Bravo
A communications professional with a postgraduate degree in digital communication, Gabriel Ernesto Levy Bravo is an advisor and consultant in ICT, communications, and digital transformation. He is a professor and researcher at the universities of Antioquia and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, and serves as academic coordinator of Andinalink, a major telecommunications fair in Latin America.

María Cecilia Hernández Ocampo
María Cecilia Hernández Ocampo is a social communicator and journalist with a Master’s degree in Communications in Digital Communication from the University of Antioquia (Medellín). She has extensive experience in 360° communication strategies, editing, academic research, and digital and analog content production, with interest in film, gender, and feminism.

María Paula Ángel Benavides
María Paula Ángel Benavides holds a degree in social communications from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Bogotá) and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Communication and Media at ELTE in Budapest under the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship. She has worked in media, higher education, and NGOs.

Czech Republic

Marius Dragomir
Marius Dragomir is the Director of the Media and Journalism Research Center, which continues the work of the Center for Media, Data and Society (CMDS), which he led between 2016 and 2022. He previously worked for the Open Society Foundations (OSF) for over a decade, managing the research and policy portfolio of the Program on Independent Journalism (PIJ). He has been a main editor for PIJ’s Mapping Digital Media project (56 countries worldwide) and the main writer and editor of OSF’s Television Across Europe, a comparative study of broadcast policies in 20 European countries.

Georgia

Giorgi Jangiani
Giorgi Jangiani is a media policy professional with research expertise in disinformation, media business, and digital policy. He holds an MA in European Public Policy from the University of York and Central European University and has led USAID-funded programs on strengthening democratic resilience in Georgia. He works as a consultant for the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD), focusing on election-related disinformation and online content regulation.

Ekaterine Basilaia
Ekaterine Basilaia is a lecturer and researcher at Tbilisi State University and co-author of the book The Role and Limitations of non-Governmental Policy Advocacy in Georgia: Groups and Media in Agenda-Setting (2016). She has served as a senior researcher in Horizon 2020 projects and has authored country reports on media for the Media Sustainability Index (IREX).

Research contributor: Levani Tevdoradze

India

Vibodh Parthasarathi
Vibodh Parthasarathi works on media policy and creative industries, with visiting positions at the University of Queensland, KU Leuven, and IIT Bombay. His latest work is the co-edited double volume The Indian Media Economy(OUP 2018).

Simran Agarwal
Simran Agarwal is a media research scholar and project associate at the Centre for Policy Studies, IIT Bombay. She holds a Master’s degree in Media Governance from Jamia Millia Islamia and works on the political economy of media and media policy.

Manisha Venkat
Manisha Venkat holds a degree in media studies from the University of Illinois, focusing on advertising and creative industries. She is interested in the media economy of developing countries.

Research assistants: Kripa Fernandes, Prem Sylvester, Shivani Chunekar, Shubhangi Heda, Tushita Shekhar.

Indonesia

Nurma Fitrianingrum
Nurma Fitrianingrum holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy (Media and Communication) from CEU and works as Junior Policy Analyst at Universitas Gadjah Mada. Her interests include public policy and social media governance amidst disinformation campaigns.

Lisette Reuvers
Lisette Reuvers is a student of Global Public Policy (MUNDUS MAPP) at IBEI (previously at CEU) with a background in social sciences and experience on youth, education, and inequality projects in the Netherlands. She is also interested in journalism.

Israel

Roni Dorot
Roni Dorot holds a PhD in Social and Political Sciences from the European University Institute and an MA in Public Policy from Tel Aviv University. Her research has focused on Israeli militarism, political revenge, and the genealogy of retaliation discourses in the Jewish press. She currently writes for Haaretz, critically analyzing documentaries in her blog “Documania.”

Italy

Matteo Trevisan
Matteo Trevisan is an Italian researcher focused on freedom of expression and information. He holds an MA in Interdisciplinary Research and Studies on Eastern Europe and has worked with Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa and the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia. His research explores media freedom, EU enlargement, ethnic conflicts, migration, and minority rights.

Jordan

Ian Graham
Ian Graham is a researcher at the Center for Media, Data and Society in Budapest, focusing on media regulatory policy and philanthropic support for independent journalism. He has worked with Scholars at Risk and the National Endowment for Democracy and holds MA degrees in Public Policy and Nationalism Studies from CEU.

Kazakhstan

Adil Nussipov
Adil Nussipov is a researcher on the Media Influence Matrix project at CMDS. He holds an MA in International Relations from CEU and a BA in Political Science and International Relations from Nazarbayev University. His interests include digital policy, government–media relations, and global governance.

Kyrgyzstan

Gulnura Toralieva
Gulnura Toralieva is a blogger, media activist, CEO of “Data Lab,” and Head of the Bishkek School of Public Relations. She has extensive experience in media, governance, civil society development, and open government initiatives, has advised the Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, and holds degrees in international relations, science journalism, and journalism.

Mexico

Rodrigo Gómez
Rodrigo Gómez is a professor of communication studies and policies at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Cuajimalpa. His work focuses on media systems, politics, and business from a political economy perspective. He is co-editor of Routledge’s Global Media Giants series.

Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes
Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes is a full-time professor at ITESO and a member of the National System of Researchers. He has taught at ITESO, the University of Guadalajara, and Temple University, and has published widely on public and political communication.

Argelia Muñoz Larroa
Argelia Muñoz Larroa holds a Conacyt Postdoctoral Fellowship at UAM, Cuajimalpa. She focuses on the sustainability of cultural sectors and public policies for regional development. She has a doctorate in administration (Victoria University of Wellington), a master’s in international relations, and a degree in history from UNAM.

Gabriel Sosa Plata
Gabriel Sosa Plata is Ombudsman of the public broadcaster Canal 22 and a specialist in public communication policies. He is a journalist, academic, and researcher at UAM Xochimilco, author and co-author of multiple books, and former President of the Inter-American Organization of Ombudsmen. He hosts the “Media 20.1” program on TV UNAM.

Pakistan

Ifra Asad
Ifra Asad holds an MPA from CEU’s School of Public Policy. She has worked in civil society organizations on women’s rights, education, and minorities, and now works at Minority Rights Group Europe.

Mackenzie Nelson
Mackenzie Nelson holds a BA in International Politics and History and an MPA from CEU. She has worked for the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Washington, DC and Brussels. Her research focuses on public discourse, online intermediaries, and multi-stakeholder platform governance in the EU.

Romania

Dumitrita Holdis
Dumitrita Holdis is a researcher at CMDS. She has worked on academic podcasting, media representation, migration, and labor integration. She holds a BA in Sociology from Babeș-Bolyai University and an MA in Sociology and Social Anthropology from CEU.

Russia

Leonardo Ingannamorte
Leonardo Ingannamorte is a lawyer with degrees from Togliatti State University and a current MA in International Relations at CEU. He collaborates with Russian human rights projects and focuses on the legal and political dimensions of the current Russian regime.

Olesya Shmagun
Olesya Shmagun is an investigative journalist with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). She has a PhD in journalism and experience in investigative reporting in and about Russia.

Slovakia

Marius Dragomir
(See bio under Czech Republic; MIM director and lead comparative researcher.)

Spain

Francisco Campos-Freire
Francisco Campos-Freire is a full professor of Journalism at the University of Santiago de Compostela, with extensive managerial experience in media companies. His research focuses on media enterprises and public service media.

Marta Rodríguez-Castro
Marta Rodríguez-Castro holds a PhD from the University of Santiago de Compostela and focuses on regulation of digital services by public service media and the impact of global digital platforms.

Ana Isabel Rodríguez-Vázquez
Ana Isabel Rodríguez-Vázquez is a professor at the Faculty of Communication Sciences of the University of Santiago de Compostela. She has worked across print, television, and digital media and researches media audiences and innovation.

Alejandro Gesto-Louro
Alejandro Gesto-Louro is a researcher at the Department of Communication Sciences of the University of Santiago de Compostela. His research focuses on funding of public service media and use of technological advances such as blockchain in media industries.

Óscar Juanatey-Boga
Óscar Juanatey-Boga is a professor at the University of A Coruña, specializing in communication strategies, marketing, and funding of media outlets.

Valentín Alejandro Martínez-Fernández
Valentín Alejandro Martínez-Fernández is a journalist and professor at the University of A Coruña with experience managing print outlets such as El Ideal Gallego. His research focuses on the transformation of the print press industry.

Editing, translation and research assistance: Norina Solomon.

Ukraine

Olesya Grabova
Olesya Grabova holds an MA in Political Science (Political Economy) from CEU. Her interests include political violence, social psychology, and media impact on public opinion in Eastern Europe. She has experience from Hromadske TV and VoxUkraine.

Anastasiia Tarasova
Anastasiia Tarasova holds an MA in International Public Affairs from CEU. Her interests include international and humanitarian law, democracy promotion, conflict transformation, peace-building, and human rights.

United Kingdom

Leo Watkins
Leo Watkins was a Media and Communications PhD student at Goldsmiths, University of London, researching Rupert Murdoch and neoliberalism in Britain. He previously worked as an analyst in technology, media, and telecoms research and contributed to parliamentary campaigns on media ownership. He is on the coordinating committee of the Media Reform Coalition.

Yemen

Abdullah Qaid
Abdullah Qaid is a Yemen-based freelance journalist and researcher with more than 18 years of experience. He has reported for television, print, and digital media, covering conflicts, human rights, and corruption.

Global Media Finances Map (GMFM) Team

The GMFM work integrated into MIM has been carried out by the following team:

• Adrian Anton – Research, Romania
• Paola Castro – Research, Spain
• Iulian Comanescu – Financial analysis
• Marius Dragomir – Research design, comparative analysis
• Mihaela Groza – Database
• Gábor Sitányi – Financial analysis
• Astrid Söderström – Comparative analysis, research
• Norina Solomon – Comparative analysis, Romania
• Eva Vajda – Research, Hungary
• Manon Verougstraete – Research, Belgium

About MJRC

The Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) is an independent research organization dedicated to documenting and understanding the forces that shape journalism and the wider information environment. MJRC develops comparative research, tools, and datasets to support evidence-based policymaking and informed public debate. The Media Influence Matrix is one of MJRC’s flagship projects.

Legal address

Tartu mnt 67/1-13b, 10115, Tallinn, Harju Maakond, Estonia

Postal address

6 South Molton St, London, W1K 5QF, United Kingdom

Academic partnership

MJRC has an academic cooperation agreeement with Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Colexio de San Xerome, Praza do Obradoiro s/n, CP 15782 de Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Contact

Email: mjrc@journalismresearch.org

Learn more about MJRC here:
https://journalismresearch.org