The book explores how information ecosystems are shaped by conditions, resources, and power relations in specific countries and regions – and why understanding these dynamics is essential to building policies and practices that support equity and justice in the digital age.
“The challenge is to translate evidence into collective action that can tackle the power of Big Tech companies and work to uphold human rights”, says Robin Mansell, professor emeritus at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
With generative AI accelerating targeted influence operations and obscuring information provenance during elections and crises, the book’s authors argue that the crucial question is not whether AI influences the public sphere, but who defines the guardrails.
“Evidence from the Observatory on Information & Democracy shows that design choices and business incentives, rather than ‘inevitable tech’, drive risk. This book translates those findings into a rights-first playbook for policymakers and platforms”, explains Camille Grenier, executive director of the Forum on Information & Democracy.
Revised and expanded from an earlier report, the book brings together global research on news media, AI, and data governance. It highlights policy measures to strengthen public discourse, media freedom, and institutional resilience in the face of increasing weaponisation of information.
The event will be hosted on 26 November 2025 at the VUB Usquare Campus, Brussels, from 17:00 to 19:00.
The book Information Ecosystems and Troubled Democracy: The State of Knowledge on News Media, AI, and Data Governance will be published in October–November 2025.
