Is the digital revolution destroying democracy or saving it? As citizens navigate countless news sources daily, concerns mount about disinformation, selective exposure, and widespread news avoidance threatening democratic stability. But are these fears justified?

This timely book examines how transformed political information environments impact citizens across 18 countries, bringing together an international team of experts in a comprehensive, multimethod investigation. Moving beyond speculation and alarm, it presents primary empirical research that reveals a far more complex, and surprising, reality than prevailing discourse suggests.

This book explores three critical developments: selective news exposure, political news avoidance, and the spread of dis- and misinformation, revealing how each affects democratic health in unexpected ways.

The findings offer both reassurance and nuance. While the shift from low-choice to high-choice information environments has undeniably changed political engagement, many dire predictions prove overstated. Selective news exposure is less universally severe than assumed. Fears of mass disengagement from political news are largely unwarranted, with research showing only low to moderate levels of intentional news avoidance. The research on dis- and misinformation revealed complex patterns of exposure, perception, and belief that varied significantly across countries and demographic groups.

Essential reading for academics, students, policymakers, and anyone concerned about democracy’s future, this book delivers the thoughtful evidence-based analysis our information age needs.