Media in Times of Backsliding Democracy

Carlo Berti is a Researcher at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University. His current project explores the relationship between journalism and populist politics, focusing on the European Union. He has published extensively in international journals, including Journalism, Journalism Studies, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, and New Media & Society. He is the co-editor (with Carlo Ruzza and Paolo Cossarini) of The Impact of Populism on European Institutions and Civil Society (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). He obtained his PhD in Communication Studies from the Auckland University of Technology.Alice Němcová Tejkalová, PhD, is an Associate Professor and the Head of the Journalism Department at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University. Her primary research interests are in journalism studies and sports journalism. Since 2019, she has been a regional co-coordinator for Central & Eastern Europe in the Worlds of Journalism Study. She led Charles University’s research team on Resilient Media for Democracy in the Digital Age, a Horizon Europe project in 2023–2026.Anna Shavit, PhD, is an academic at Charles University whose research focuses on election campaigns and political marketing in contemporary societies. Her work bridges academic research and professional political consulting. She has worked as an election strategist on numerous presidential and parliamentary campaigns in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. She is currently co-editing a book examining Machiavelli’s influence on modern politics and political thought.Verica Rupar is an academic consultant for the Media Diversity Institute and a former professor of journalism. Her academic work includes studies on media, democracy, and social inclusion. Her recent research focuses on the 'post-truth' environment and the diffusion of misinformation in the digital age. She has worked previously as a journalist in Serbia, Slovenia and Hungary, and taught journalism in Serbia, New Zealand, Australia and the UK.

• Chapter 1 – Democratic Backsliding, New Communication Ecosystems, and the Crisis of Journalism: An Introduction to the Volume.- Part I – Theories and Problems at the Intersection Between Democracy and the Media.- Chapter 2 – When War Broke Out, I Said It Was Time to Choose a Side: Věra Jourová on Internet Myths, Platform Responsibility, and the Future of Europe.- Chapter 3 – Between Illiberal Drifts and Democracy’s Resilience: Democratic Backsliding and the Role of Institutions.- Chapter 4 – Leader Democracy and Its Relationship with the News Media.- Chapter 5 – Challenges to Journalistic Role Enactment in Times of Democratic Backsliding.- PART II – Journalism, Populism, and the Public Sphere.- Chapter 6 – Journalism as a Public Good: “Like Good Air and Good Water”. Interview with Alan Rusbridger.- Chapter 7 – Journalism, Populism, and Democracy: Assessing a Complicated Relationship.- Chapter 8 – Media Populism and Democracy: From Contested Concepts to Corrosive Effects.- Chapter 9 – Challenges and New Demands for Journalism in a Post-Truth Public Sphere.- Chapter 10 – Perspectives on Democracy, Role of Journalism and Possible Content Regulation among Czech Professional Journalists, Alt/com Producers and Citizens in Times of Political Polarization.- PART III – Media Resilience for Democracy.- Chapter 11 – Interview with Amanda Magnani: Sharing the Microphone. Communicating Complex and Polarizing Topics with Dignity and Respect.- Chapter 12 – Journalism Safety in Backsliding Democracies.- Chapter 13 – The Ethnification of Journalism: Lessons from the Balkans for Post-Conflict Europe.- Chapter 14 – Alternative Content Media Producers and Peripheral Journalists: Promoting Democracy for Younger Audiences.