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Cited by 974Media Studies and CommunicationMedia Influence and PoliticsSocial Media and Politics

Political communication in a high-choice media environment: a challenge for democracy?

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Van Aelst, Peter, Strömbäck, Jesper, Aalberg, Toril, Esser, Frank, de Vreese, Claes, Matthes, Jörg, Hopmann, David, Salgado, Susana +8 more·2017·Annals of the International Communication Association
DOI 10.1080/23808985.2017.1288551
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Abstract

During the last decennia media environments and political communication systems have changed fundamentally. These changes have major ramifications for the political information environments and the extent to which they aid people in becoming informed citizens. Against this background, the purpose of this article is to review research on key changes and trends in political information environments and assess their democratic implications. We will focus on advanced postindustrial democracies and six concerns that are all closely linked to the dissemination and acquisition of political knowledge: (1) declining supply of political information, (2) declining quality of news, (3) increasing media concentration and declining diversity of news, (4) increasing fragmentation and polarization, (5) increasing relativism and (6) increasing inequality in political knowledge.

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Authors
Van Aelst, P., Strömbäck, J., Aalberg, T., Esser, F., de Vreese, C., Matthes, J., Hopmann, D., Salgado, S., Hubé, N., Stępińska, A., Papathanassopoulos, S., Berganza, R., Legnante, G., Reinemann, C., Sheafer, T., & Stanyer, J.
Affiliations
  • University of Gothenburg (SE)
  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO)
  • University of Zurich (CH)
  • University of Vienna (AT)
  • University of Southern Denmark (DK)
  • University of Lisbon (PT)
  • Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (FR)
  • Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (PL)
  • National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR)
  • Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (ES)
  • University of Pavia (IT)
  • Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE)
  • Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL)
  • Loughborough University (GB)
ORCID
Venue
Annals of the International Communication Association
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2017-01-02
Volume
41
Issue
1
Pages
3-27
ISSN
  • 2380-8977 (ISSN-L)
  • 2380-8985
DOI
10.1080/23808985.2017.1288551
OpenAlex
W2563852632
Cited by
974
References
210
Citations by year
2026: 94 · 2025: 124 · 2024: 123 · 2023: 125 · 2022: 143 · 2021: 132 · 2020: 104 · 2019: 79 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 11
FWCI
148.25
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
other-oa
Locations
  • Annals of the International Communication Association (publishedVersion)
  • UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
  • BIBSYS Brage (BIBSYS (Norway)) (submittedVersion)
  • Loughborough University Institutional Repository (Loughborough University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Loughborough University Research Repository (Loughborough University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • University of Southern Denmark Research Portal (University of Southern Denmark) (submittedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Communication › Media Studies and Communication
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Media Influence and Politics
  • Social Sciences › Communication › Social Media and Politics
Keywords
political communication, political information environment, democracy, political knowledge, news quality, media concentration, news diversity, media fragmentation, political polarization, relativism, citizen information

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