Associate Professor Dr. Belina Budini is a researcher and lecturer, currently holding the position of the Head of Department of Humanities and Communication at the European University of Tirana in Albania. She leads the communication research group at the Doctoral Studies School and her work in the area of political communication, media studies and journalism has been published and incited public discussion in the field of the media and political studies, but also in the national mainstream media. Her research builds on media analysis and agency analysis to better understand relations between politics and journalism in the context of a new democracy and post-communist country. She has also published on foreign media representations of Albania and the phenomenon of mediated politics. Her second book “Albania in Time Magazine, 1923-2013” also touched on public diplomacy and international relations. Her first book was a monograph on the emergence of a media-crafted politician in transitional democracy countries. She has completed her post-graduate studies from Goldsmiths College, University of London with distinction for her dissertation. She was awarded a PhD with highest achievement for her work on the international news media, from the University of Tirana. As an associate professor, Dr. Budini teaches Political Communication, Media Studies and Public Relations to graduate and post-graduate students. She has also been editor in chief of the scientific journal of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Education, ”Polis” and has a background knowledge of the media from her work as editor and columnist of the most prominent newspapers in the country such as “Panorama” and “Shekulli”. She communicates her research as a political communication expert in national and regional media. As a researcher, she is interested in conducting scientific and policy-oriented research with a focus on news media, democracy and governance, in order to help create informed policies that respond to the shared needs and interests of the Albanian society and beyond. Her latest research and policy projects have particular implications that could inform public policy issues for the Albanian international relations and the European integration process of the country. She is currently developing communication strategies for dealing with the public diplomacy issues countries of the Western Balkans encounter and the western media coverage they get with implications for their international reputation.