Simón Peña-Fernández is a Full Professor in the Department of Journalism at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).

His main research interests include artificial intelligence and journalism, online journalism and digital media, disinformation, social media, algorithmic polarisation and audiences. His current research focuses particularly on the impact of artificial intelligence and algorithms on news organisations, journalists and audiences, as well as on the changing nature of digital information ecosystems.

He holds degrees in Journalism and Audiovisual Communication from the University of Navarra and a PhD in Information Sciences from the UPV/EHU. Before joining academia, he worked as a journalist for Euskaldunon Egunkaria and Berria.

He has taught at the UPV/EHU since 1999, mainly on courses related to journalistic writing, online journalism and news design.

Since 2004, he has published around one hundred articles in academic journals and presented papers at national and international conferences. This research has been conducted through sustained involvement in around thirty publicly funded competitive research projects, including eight European projects under Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+, and five projects funded through Spain’s National Research Plan, alongside projects supported by the UPV/EHU and the Society of Basque Studies–Eusko Ikaskuntza, among other institutions.

His research is complemented by a sustained record of knowledge transfer. He has led ten research and knowledge-transfer contracts with public institutions and media organisations, including the Basque Parliament, Euskal Irrati Telebista (EITB) and Emakunde–Basque Institute for Women, and has participated in five educational innovation projects.

He is currently co-principal investigator of the Gureiker research group, together with Ainara Larrondo-Ureta.

• ORCID: 0000-0003-2080-3241  
• Scopus Author ID: 55580980400
• Web of Science Researcher ID: C-4850-2013
• Academic profile: Github
• UPV/EHU: Scientific Production Portal

• Online journalism, Artificial intelligence, Disinformation, Social media, Audiences, Innovation, Digital communication.

• Eizmendi Iraola, M., & Peña-Fernandez, S. (2026). From visibility to vulnerability: how women scientists face gendered hostility in science communication. Journal of Science Communication, 25(4), C07. DOI: 10.22323/364620260508084810
• Peña-Fernández, S., Larrondo-Ureta, A., & Morales-i-Gras, J. (2026). Journalists, media and influencers: An analysis of the conversation in the digital public sphere during the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Sapienza: International Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 7(2), e26008. DOI: 10.51798/sijis.v7i2.1482
• Eizmendi-Iraola, M., Peña-Fernández, S., & Morales i-Gras, J. (2025). The Gender Gap in Science Communication on TikTok and YouTube: How Platform Dynamics Shape the Visibility of Female Science Communicators. Journalism and Media, 6, 108. DOI: 10.3390/journalmedia6030108
• Orbegozo-Terradillos, J., Larrondo-Ureta, A., & Peña-Fernández, S. (2025). Noticias con inteligencia artificial: percepción e impacto de audiencias y profesionales tras un experimento radiofónico. Revista de Comunicación, 24, 2. DOI: 10.26441/RC24.2-2025-3891
• Peña-Alonso, U., Peña-Fernández, S., & Meso-Ayerdi, K. (2025). Journalists’ Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence and Disinformation Risks. Journalism and Media, 6(3), 133. DOI: 10.3390/journalmedia6030133
• Peña-Fernández, S., Larrondo-Ureta, A., & Morales-i-Gras, J. (2025). Straddling Two Platforms: From Twitter to Mastodon, an Analysis of the Evolution of an Unfinished Social Media Migration. Social Sciences, 14(7), 402. DOI: 10.3390/socsci14070402
• Peña-Fernández, S., Peña-Alonso, U., Larrondo-Ureta, A., & Morales-i-Gras, J. (2025). Shooting the Messenger? Harassment and Hate Speech Directed at Journalists on Social Media. Societies, 15, 130. DOI: 10.3390/soc15050130
• Santos-Albardía, M., Peña-Fernández, S., & Agirreazkuenaga, I. (2025). Technology, education and critical media literacy: potential, challenges, and opportunities. Frontiers in Human Dynamics, 7. DOI: 10.3389/fhumd.2025.1608911
• Sarrionandia, B., Peña-Fernández, S., & Pérez-Dasilva, J. Á. (2025). La inteligencia artificial como motor de innovación en los medios: apropiación técnica, cautela informativa. Estudios sobre el mensaje periodístico, 31(3), 603-613. DOI: 10.5209/EMP.102961
• Sarrionandia, B., Peña-Fernández, S., & Pérez-Dasilva, J. Á. (2025). Inteligencia artificial generativa y medios locales: análisis del sesgo territorial en cinco modelos de lenguaje. Hipertext.net, 31, 201-213. DOI: 10.31009/hipertext.net.2025.i31.15.
• Sarrionandia, B., Peña-Fernández, S., Pérez-Dasilva, J. Á., & Larrondo-Ureta, A. (2025). Artificial intelligence training in media: addressing technical and ethical challenges for journalists and media professionals. Frontiers in Communication, 10. DOI: 10.3389/fcomm.2025.1537918
• Larrondo Ureta, A., Peña-Fernández, S., Morales-i-Gras, J. (2024). Política vs. entretenimiento. Análisis del liderazgo conversacional de los medios en las redes sociales. Profesional de la Información, 33(4).
• Peña-Fernández, S., Larrondo-Ureta, A., & Agirreazkuenaga-Onaindia, Irati (2024). Mediatised Participation: Citizen Journalism and the Decline in User-Generated Content in Online News Media. Social Sciences, 13, 266.
• Díaz-Noci, J., Peña-Fernández, S., Meso-Ayerdi, K. & Larrondo-Ureta, Ainara (2024). The Influence of AI in the Media Work Force. How Companies Use an Array of Legal Remedies. Tripodos, 55, 33-54.
• Peña-Fernández, S., Larrondo-Ureta, A., & Morales-i-Gras, J. (2023). Feminism, gender identity and polarization in TikTok and Twitter. Comunicar, 75, 47-58.
• Peña-Fernández, S., Meso-Ayerdi, K., Larrondo-Ureta, A., & Díaz-Noci, J. (2023). Without journalists, there is no journalism: the social dimension of generative artificial intelligence in the media. Profesional De La información, 32(2), 1-15.
• Peña-Fernández, S., Larrondo-Ureta, A., & Morales-i-Gras, J. (2022). Current affairs on TikTok. Virality and entertainment for digital natives. Profesional De La información, 31(1).
• Novo-Arbona, A., Peña-Fernández, S., Martínez-Odriozola, L., Jiménez-Martín, E., & Eguskiza-Sesumaga, L. (2022). Media and violence against women in the Basque Country: A self-regulation case study. Feminist Media Studies.
• Peña-Fernández, S., et al. (2021). Online journalism education in the hybrid media system . Bilbao: UPV/EHU. ISBN: 978-84-1319-329-8.
• Peña-Fernández, S., Casado-Del-Río, M. Á., & García-González, D. (2021). From Rigidity to Exuberance: Evolution of News on Online Newspaper Homepages. Future Internet, 13(6):150.
• Peña-Fernández, S., Pérez-Dasilva, J. Á., Meso-Ayerdi, K., & Larrondo-Ureta, A., (2021). Social participation in the media: The dialogue of digital journalists with audiences. European Public & Social Innovation Review, 6(1), 16-28.
• Larrondo-Ureta, A., Peña-Fernández, S., & Morales-i-Gras, J. (2021). Disinformation, vaccines, and Covid-19. Analysis of the infodemic and the digital conversation on Twitter. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 19.
• Castellano-Parra, O., Meso-Ayerdi, K., & Peña-Fernández, S. (2020). Behind the Comments Section: The Ethics of Digital Native News Discussions. Media and Communication, 8(2), 86-97.
• Barandiaran-Irastorza, X., Unceta-Satrustegui, A., & Peña-Fernández, S. (2020). Political Communication in times of a New Political Culture. Icono 14, 18(1), 256-281.
• Barandiaran-Irastorza, X., Peña-Fernández, S., & Unceta-Satrustegui, A. (2020). The Archipelago of Cultural and Creative Industries: A Case Study of the Basque Country. Economies, 8(1):21.
• Larrondo-Ureta, A., Meso-Ayerdi, K., & Peña-Fernández, S. (2020). Shared Spaces for News Content Production in Spanish Online Media. In: J. Vázquez-Herrero et al. (Ed.), Journalistic Metamorphosis. Media Transformation in the Digital Age (pp. 113-127). Berlín: Springer.
• Peña-Fernández, S., Meso-Ayerdi, K., & Larrondo-Ureta, A. (2020). Active audiences: Empowering citizens’ discourse in the hybrid media system . Madrid: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 978-84-4862-003-5
• Larrondo-Ureta, A., Peña-Fernández, S., Agirreazkuenaga-Onaindia, I., & Meso-Ayerdi, K. (2020). Comments, What For? User Participation and Quality of the Debate in Four European Newspapers Political J-blogs. Media Watch, 11(2), 247-262.
• Peña-Fernández, S., Larrondo-Ureta, A., & Agirreazkuenaga-Onaindia, I. (2020). Etiquetar el feminismo. Análisis de los cibermedios iberoamericanos. Cuadernos.info, 46, 45-67.
• Larrondo-Ureta, A., Peña-Fernández, S., & Fernandes-Teixeira, J. (2020). Online Journalism Teaching and Learning Processes Beyond the Classroom and the University: Experiences in International Virtual Collaboration on Multimedia Projects. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 76(1), 5-28.

• ​​​​​​Gureiker (MR Ainara Larrondo Ureta & Simón Peña Fernández), research group of the Basque University System, 2026-2029.
• Impacto de la inteligencia artificial y los algoritmos en los cibermedios, los profesionales y las audiencias (MR Simón Peña-Fernández & Koldobika Meso-Ayerdi), Ministry of Science and Innovation, 2023-2027.
• Social Media, Disinformation and AI: Strategies and tools to prevent polarisation and foster democratic values (MR Simón Peña-Fernández & Ainhoa Novo-Arbona), UPV/EHU, 2026-2027.
• Salud mental de los/las profesionales del periodismo de la CAV: presiones, precariedad e implementación de la IA como posibles factores crecientes de estrés y riesgo para el bienestar emocional (MR Terese Mendiguren-Galdospin), UPV/EHU, 2025-2027.
• El impacto de la inteligencia artificial en los medios de comunicación vascos y en sus profesionales (MR Jesús Ángel Pérez-Dasilva), UPV/EHU, 2023-2025.
• Los cibermedios y la comunicación digital en un ecosistema informativo en transformación (MR Simón Peña-Fernández), Ministry of Science and Innovation, 2023-2024.
• Communication, emotions and political action. Strategies to combat disinformation and polarization in the digital public sphere (MR Simón Peña-Fernández & Ainhoa Novo-Arbona), UPV/EHU, 2023-2024.
• Automated counter narratives against misinformation and hate speech for journalists and social media (MR Simón Peña-Fernández), Ministry of Science and Innovation, 2022-2024.
• Gureiker (MR Ainara Larrondo-Ureta)​​​​​​, research group of the Basque University System, 2022-2025.
• Tools for the analysis of parliamentary discourses: polarization, subjectivity and affectivity in the post-truth era (MR Simón Peña-Fernández & Rodrigo Agerri Gascón), UPV/EHU, 2020-2021. 
• AQET - Assessment of Quality of Erasmus Trainerships (MR Josef Vochozka), European Commission – Erasmus +, 2019-2022.
• FORESIGHT - Future Oriented Education for Students Incorporating GSC in High-paced Times (MR Oguz Demir), European Commission – Erasmus +, 2018-2021.
• Noticias, redes y usuarios en el sistema híbrido de medios (MR Simón Peña-Fernández & Koldobika Meso-Ayerdi), Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, 2018-2021.
• Inclusive Futures for Europe BEYOND the impacts of Industrie 4.0 and Digital Disruption (MR Steven Dhont), European Commission – Horizon 2020, 2019-2022.
• Gureiker (MR Ainara Larrondo Ureta & Simón Peña Fernández), research group of the Basque University System, 2016-2021.

• Coordinator of the Master in Social Communication.
• Editor of Mediatika journal (ISSN 1988-3935)
• Dean of the School of Social and Communication Sciences (2013-2021).

• Gureiker (IT1936-26). Consolidated research group of the Basque university system.
• Research lines:
  • Artificial intelligence and new technologies.
  • Media innovation and quality journalism.
  • Information disorders and disintermediation.
  • Health, science and public engagement.
  • Political communication, activism and social change.
  • Media and information literacy.
  • Equality, gender and feminisms in the digital public sphere.
  • Basque language and territory.