This book explores the many ways people cope with “toxic news” – news experiences that can harm our wellbeing, distort our understanding, or erode our trust.

Drawing on original research and studies from around the world, the book offers a comprehensive map of the coping practices people use to deal with toxic news: from taking “news breaks” to seeking alternative sources, filtering topics, or turning to humour and discussions with friends. Considering users as active agents who already have tactics and strategies at their disposal, for better or worse, to navigate today’s turbulent information landscape, the book broadens the conversation beyond fake news and disinformation to offer fresh ideas for building media literacy approaches that start with what people actually do, rather than what experts think they should do.

This book will interest researchers and advanced students in communication, media studies, journalism, democracy, audience studies, political communication, disinformation and related social sciences, who are interested in how citizens live with today’s news ecology and the stream of toxic news that circulates in it.

Ike Picone is Professor in Media and Journalism Studies at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. His research sits at the crossroads of journalism studies and audience research, focusing on evolutions in cross-media news use.

Pauljan Truyens is a postdoctoral researcher at imec-SMIT, VUB, Belgium. His research spans the journalism-audience relationship, toxic news, and the balancing act between public connection and personal wellbeing.