Toni G. L. A. van der Meer (PhD, 2016) is Associate Professor of Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam School of Communication Science Research (ASCoR). His research line can broadly be defined as “disruptive communication.” Under this umbrella term, Toni studies different key challenges in our contemporary mediated society. For example, research interests include: (1) perceptions and (spillover) effect of misinformation, (2) how information consumption and communication changed during crisis situations, (3) how media production and consumption can be baised, and (4)how to improve media literacy skills.

Research expertise

• Misinformation
• Crisis communication
• Media bias
• Negativity bias
• Media literacy
• Organisational involvement in socio-political issues

Administrative roles

• Funding Strategy Program Manager (ASCoR)
• Co-director international Crisis Communication Think thank (CCTT)
• Board member Misinformation Research Amsterdam (MIRA)
• Vice Chair of Thesis Quality Master board (department Communication Science)
• Former ASCoR Board member (ASCoR)

Research methods

• Experiments
• (Longitudional) surveys
• Cotent analysis
• Mixed methods

Current research projects

• Communication in Times of Crisis: How uncertain situations (e.g., war threats, pandemics) affect communication patterns and citizens’ information seeking behavior (funded by NWO Research Talent grant and NWO Open Competition XS Grant).
• Misinformation Susceptibility: Exploring who is most vulnerable to misinformation (project funded by NWO Open Competition M Grant).
• Adolescents and Agents of Doubt: How adolescents develop knowledge in an age of misinformation and heavy use of synthetic content through processes of epistemic uncertainty and epistemic agency (project funded by NWO Open Competition L Grant).
• A Biased News Reality: How news media can be biased to negative and rare events as well as crisis situations (funded by NWO VENI Grant).
• Desensitization to the multiplicity of crises: How exposure to a fast amount of societal issues and perceptions of a polycrisis can result in feelings of numbness (funded by Stimulus Grant).
• Pandemic Preparedness: How journalists and intermediaries play a role in fighting misinformation during pandemics (projects funded by ZonMw).

BA

• Crisis of Trust: Organizations under Public Scrutiny 
• Introduction to Communication Science 

MA

• Organizations, Media, and Society
• Evaluating Research (Research MA)
• (Research) Master thesis supervision

PhD supervision

• Dina Strikovic (2018-2021):  On behalf of the people? Perceptions, usage and effects of references to the people in political communication.
• Alexandra Schwinges (2021-2024): Big Tech in check: News media's watchdog role in the digital age.
• Jasmijn Kruijt (2024 - ): How do the media frame our future problems?
• Ellen Linnert (2024 - ): Are we too concerned about misinformation? Exploring how public opinion, political communication, and (social) media contribute to (dis)proportional risk perceptions of misinformation.
• Niklas Fritsche (2026 - ):  When lies take root: Investigating the impact of misinformation on those at risk.