Andreas Michaelides

I am a researcher in political communication with a focus on the epistemological and methodological dimensions of blame avoidance strategies (BAS) and their problematization in political discourse. My academic work is rooted in a rigorous inquiry into how strategic communication shapes public accountability, particularly through the lens of philosophical and critical methodologies. I hold a Master’s Degree in Communication and Journalism from the Open University of Cyprus, where I conducted an in-depth analysis that intersects classical epistemology, modern philosophy, and contemporary discourse analysis.

My research combines a historical-conceptual approach to the notion of “problematization” with empirical content analysis of media narratives. I critically examined key intellectual traditions—from the Socratic method to the critical pedagogy of Paulo Freire and the genealogical analytics of Michel Foucault—to trace the evolution of problematization as both a philosophical attitude and a methodological tool. I then operationalized contemporary frameworks, particularly Carol Bacchi’s “What’s the Problem Represented to be?” approach and the methodology proposed by Alvesson & Sandberg, to detect how assumptions about policy problems are constructed and sustained.

Central to my thesis is the application of these theoretical tools to the typologies of blame avoidance articulated by Christopher Hood in The Blame Game (2011). I explored how political actors construct narratives of responsibility evasion and how these narratives are received, reinforced, or challenged within strategic political communication. The combination of these frameworks enabled a dual-layered analysis: first, to identify how the problem of BAS is framed in academic and political discourse; and second, to reveal the deeper ontological and epistemic assumptions that sustain these frames.

Through my research, I argue that the study of blame avoidance cannot be reduced to a technical assessment of public relations or media tactics. Instead, it must be approached as a complex, decentralized field of power, language, and contested meaning. This orientation requires researchers to not only question what is said and done but also to explore what remains unsaid and unquestioned in dominant discursive regimes.

I continue to develop analytical models that challenge conventional approaches in political science and media studies. My ongoing work focuses on adapting the tools of problematization to new media environments and the increasingly hybrid forms of blame-shifting in digital political communication. I am especially interested in bridging academic research with applied analysis, offering critical insights for both scholarly and public audiences.

I publish independently via Substack and maintain a research blog dedicated to political discourse, blame culture, and problematization theory. I welcome academic collaboration and critical dialogue with researchers working in communication theory, political philosophy, and critical policy analysis.

Andreas Michaelides