Democracy under Siege: How Actors, Communication Strategies, and Emerging Phenomena Are Changing the Rules in the Public Sphere (Volume II)

This is the second Research Topic of a series. The first volume can be found here.The digital public sphere has evolved in ways that few early observers of the internet anticipated. Rather than functioning as an open and deliberative democratic arena, today’s communication environment is characterized by a highly fragmented and platformized ecosystem. In this context, information flows are increasingly shaped by algorithmic curation, platform infrastructures, and user-driven personalization, which contribute to both structural and pragmatic forms of informational bias. As a result, citizens often encounter content that reinforces their existing beliefs or aligns with what algorithmic systems infer to be their interests.This evolving media environment has given rise to a range of complex phenomena, including political polarization, echo chambers, networked propaganda, and new forms of mediatization. Meanwhile, journalism is facing an ongoing reputational crisis. Declining public trust in the media, coupled with the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation, has challenged the epistemic authority traditionally attributed to journalistic institutions.The contemporary information ecosystem is increasingly structured by social media platforms, digital-native actors, influencers, and algorithmic intermediaries. Communication technologies now enable political, institutional, and strategic actors to reach targeted audiences at unprecedented scale and speed, influencing public opinion and shaping political discourse. These transformations have contributed to the emergence of what scholars have called information disorders, which can foster polarized attitudes, undermine democratic deliberation, and affect citizens’ political participation.At the same time, recent technological developments, including generative artificial intelligence, automated content production, and synthetic media, are further transforming the dynamics of information production, circulation, and consumption. These developments raise new questions about credibility, epistemic authority, and the future of journalism in digitally mediated societies.In response, media literacy and broader forms of informational resilience have emerged as key strategies for mitigating the effects of disinformation and strengthening democratic communication processes. Yet their reach and effectiveness remain uneven across populations and media contexts, underscoring the need for sustained scholarly attention to both their potential and their limits.The aim of this Research Topic is to explore the multiple dimensions of the contemporary (dis)information crisis and its implications for journalism, media systems, and democratic life. We welcome contributions that examine emerging communicative ecologies, evolving forms of informational authority, and the technological transformations reconfiguring today’s media environment.Strong preference will be given to articles that are both theoretically grounded and empirically driven. Contributions employing innovative, interdisciplinary, or creative methodologies are particularly encouraged.Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:• generative AI and automated content production in the information ecosystem• AI-generated misinformation, deepfakes, and synthetic media• algorithmic governance and platform regulation• influencers, content creators, and emerging forms of informational authority• visual and multimodal disinformation• affective polarization and networked propaganda• regulatory and policy responses to information disorders• fact-checking infrastructures and verification practices• digital and algorithmic literacy• societal resilience against disinformation.Contributions addressing comparative perspectives, cross-platform analyses, and interdisciplinary approaches are particularly welcome. Topic editors: Lorena Cano-Orón, Francesca Rizzuto, Janneth Trejo-Quintana Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79579/democracy-under-siege-how-actors-communication-strategies-and-emerging-phenomena-are-changing-the-rules-in-the-public-sphere-volume-ii