Virpi Salojärvi

Virpi Salojärvi, D.Soc.Sci., is University Lecturer in Communication Studies at the University of Eastern Finland and a Senior Researcher and Work Package Leader in the Horizon Europe project DeAppeal (Deconstruct and Resist Autocratic Appeal to Reinvigorate Democracy) at the University of Helsinki. Her research focuses on polarization, populism, conflict and crisis, social media, journalism, political communication, emotions, and methodological development, particularly in audiovisual analysis.

Salojärvi received her doctorate in Media and Communication Studies from the University of Helsinki in 2016 and holds the title of Docent in Media and Communication Studies at the same institution. Before joining the University of Eastern Finland in 2026, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher (2016-2020) and University Researcher (2020-2025) at the University of Helsinki and as Assistant Professor at the University of Vaasa (2020-2025).

Her previous research projects include Mainstreaming Populism in the 21st Century (2017-2021), Whirl of Knowledge: Cultural Populism in European Polarised Politics and Societies (2019-2022), ENDURE: Inequalities, Community Resilience and New Governance Modalities in a Post-Pandemic World (2022-2025), and Short Videos as Young People’s News Source (2022-2024).

In addition to her research and teaching, Salojärvi serves on the board of Rajapinta ry and is a member of the Committee for the Improvement of Academic Life of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR). She previously chaired IAMCR’s Crisis, Security and Conflict Communication Working Group (2018-2026) and has been a visiting scholar at the University of Miami and the University of Valencia.