Israel Campos

Profile

I’m an Angolan journalist and writer. The focus of my PhD project is on the role of state-run media within the framework of competitive authoritarian regimes, analysing the Southern African context with an emphasis on Angola. 

I’ve been working as a journalist for nearly a decade, with my work featured internationally in outlets like Voice of America, BBC, Al Jazeera, and the Wall Street Journal, where I cover politics, climate change, and Angolan society. My work has been recognized with several awards, including the 2024 "Press Freedom Award" from the Angolan Journalists’ Union for my documentary “Angola's Widows of the Drought" and the EU’s "Best Climate Storytelling" award. I published my debut novel, E o Céu Mudou de Cor, in 2023, and I’m also part of Portugal’s presidential think tank, "The Future Has Already Begun," advising on key societal challenges.

Research interests

My research interests include:

• Media ownership and media capture; 
• Political Communication; 
• Media within competitive authoritarian regime; 
• Usage of media in democratisation processes; 

My research proposal builds upon prior studies I have conducted on the media landscape in Angola, specifically focusing on its influence on public perceptions and behaviours toward the media.

For my undergraduate dissertation at City University of London, I explored "Impartiality or Endorsement: How Angola’s Leading Newspapers Represented the Ruling MPLA and the Main Opposition UNITA During the 2017 Election Coverage", under the supervision of Dr. Abdullahi Tasiu Abubakar. Following this, my MA dissertation examined the role of Facebook as a platform for revolutionary and reformist social movements in Angola.These research experiences, combined with my background in journalism and deep interest in bridging professional insights with academic theory, motivate my pursuit of this PhD project.

My research aims to investigate the role of state-run media within the framework of Angola’s competitive electoral regime, offering a critical analysis of how media functions within political structures and the implications for public discourse and democratic engagement. 

Qualifications

• MA in Strategic Communication and Leadership (Universidade Católica Portuguesa)
• BA in Journalism (City University of London)