Joan Barata

Dr. Joan Barata is an international expert in freedom of expression, media freedom and media regulation. He provides regular assistance to different international organizations and entities, including the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Broadcasting Union, the Organization of American States, UNESCO and USAID among others.

He has been the Principal Adviser to the Representative on Freedom of the Media at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Dr. Barata is an affiliate to the Center for Global Communication Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and Fellow at the Centre for Internet and Human Rights at European University Viadrina.

Before that he was a Professor of Communication Law and Vice Dean of International Relations at Blanquerna Communication School. He has also been a Professor at the University of Barcelona, the Open University of Catalonia and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, as well as visiting scholar at the University of Bologna and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

His areas of expertise include topics such as freedom of expression, media regulation, public service broadcasting and political and legal media transitions. He has provided assistance to several institutions and organizations regarding these issues in countries such as Thailand, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Jordan, Albania, Hungary, Liberia, Egypt, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador and the United States.

He also has a strong regulatory experience as Head of President’s Cabinet (2005-2009) and Secretary General of the Catalonia Audiovisual Council (2009-2011) and member of the Permanent Secretariat of the Mediterranean Network of Regulatory Authorities (2006-2011).