Dr. Christopher Ali is an Assistant Professor in Department of Media Studies at the University of Virginia. His research interests focus on communication policy and regulation, critical political economy, critical geography, comparative media systems, localism, and local news.

He has published in numerous journals including: Communication Theory, Media Culture & Society, and International Journal of Communication. His forthcoming book, Media Localism: The Policies of Place (University of Illinois Press, 2017) addresses the difficulties of defining and regulating local media in the 21st century in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada and the implications these difficulties have for the long-term viability of local news.

Dr Ali has worked for the Federal Communications Commission, submitted research for the Swiss Office of Communication and consulted with the South Korean Committee on the Impact of Media Concentration. He holds a PhD from Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as an MA in Media Studies from Concordia University, Canada and a BA in Film & Media Studies and Sociology from the University of Alberta.