MEDEA founding members continue to shape academic and policy conversations at the intersection of media, technology, and human rights, contributing research expertise to several high-profile international conferences in 2025.
In June 2025, Adriana Mutu contributed for the fourth consecutive year to the European Media Management Association (emma) Annual Conference, now in its 22nd edition, held at Luiss Business School in Rome. Adriana presented her latest research on the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), focusing on regulatory provisions aimed at ensuring the protection of minors on digital platforms. Her paper critically examined the implementation of these measures and the broader implications for platform accountability and user rights. In addition to presenting her work, Adriana also moderated a session on “AI, Education, and the Future of Media Management,” facilitating dialogue on the intersection of artificial intelligence, media innovation, and educational reform.
The previous month, in May 2025, Adriana was invited as a keynote speaker at the 23rd Annual International Conference on Communication and Mass Media, where she addressed the theme “National Identity in Crisis: Media During Wartime.” Her keynote explored how media narratives shape and are shaped by national identity, particularly in conflict contexts.
She also presented a research paper titled “Tackling Online Disinformation, Misinformation, and Political Propaganda: Legal Intervention and Regulatory Oversight of Social Media Platforms in Europe.” The paper offered a comparative legal analysis of how European regulatory bodies are confronting the spread of disinformation online and proposed frameworks for more effective oversight while maintaining democratic safeguards.
In addition, on April 10–11, Adriana Mutu was a featured speaker at the International Conference GEMINI-SCAPES: Detecting the Interplay Between Serial Dramas, Gender Issues, and European Young Audiences, hosted by Università degli Studi Link in Rome. The conference, held under the auspices of the EU-funded GEMINI Research Project, convened scholars, policymakers, and practitioners from across Europe to address gender representation in media and its impact on youth audiences.
Mutu presented her latest research paper, “Addressing Gender-Based Harms in the Platform Era: European Regulatory Approaches to Protect Underage Media Users,” which explores the challenges of online harms and the evolving landscape of platform governance. Her presentation highlighted the role of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) in establishing harmonized rules across the European Single Market—particularly new transparency and content moderation obligations designed to better protect minors from online risks such as hate speech, disinformation, and sexual harassment.
Earlier in the year, Adriana also took part in two additional international scientific forums. At the 24th International Marketing Trends Congress, hosted by ESCP Business School and the Paris-Venice Marketing Trends Association, she presented a comparative analysis on “Government-Sponsored Advertising and Public Sector Management” examining how public communication is regulated across different media systems.
She also contributed to the International Conference on Regulation and Accountability in a Hybrid Media System, organized by Charles University in Prague, where she addressed the pressing issue of disinformation in the digital age. In her talk titled “Tackling Online Disinformation: Blockchain-Based Journalism for Accountable and Transparent Media Ecosystems,” Mutu explored innovative regulatory and technological approaches to rebuilding trust in media through decentralized verification and transparency tools.
Finally, Adriana also acted as guest lecturer at the Master Program in Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Romania. There, she discussed the regulation of social media, the impact of fake news, and strategies for mitigating disinformation.