Matthew Loveless is an associate professor in the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Bologna. He is also co-founder of the Center for Research and Social Progress (cersp.org). His early research and publications focused primarily on the transition to democracy in Eastern Europe and now examines several topics related to how individuals make sense of politics in Europe, focusing on public opinion, media use and perceptions. His work has been published in the Journal of Politics, International Journal of Communication, European Journal of Political Research, World Development, Electoral Studies, Comparative Politics, Government & Opposition, Journal of Common Market Studies, Journal of European Public Policy and Europe-Asia Studies.