On the fringe of public values. Italians’ media diet(s) and their political attitudes

The digital revolution has transformed societies worldwide, and technology has become a fundamental infrastructure in modern, globalised societies, influencing the ways platforms organise channels, content, interactions and social practices. The growing dominance of platforms shapes the production, distribution, and consumption of information and content through algorithms with profound and ongoing impacts on the public sphere. The potential to challenge the conventional political values, democratic principles, and, most notably, established knowledge place specific platforms in direct opposition to mainstream discourse. This study explores not only the different political news consumption styles among Italians and their corresponding social profiles but also whether these individuals are more receptive to radical or fringe views, such as conspiracy theories or anti-political and anti-democratic attitudes. The outcome makes it evident that citizens’ behaviours and attitudes are complex, reflecting the multifaceted and high-choice media environments in which they operate. However, within certain segments of the population, a stronger reliance on generic social media as a primary source of political information correlates with views that challenge public values and increases the likelihood of reinforcing such perspectives.