Democratic politics is shaped by the diversity and independence of many available sources of information, particularly for those interested in politics. This theme emerges from a cross-national comparative analysis of the sourcing strategies of news audiences in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This analysis challenges talk of technology-induced filter bubbles and echo chambers. Instead, the analysis shows that individuals have access to and use diverse sources via various media. Nevertheless, presented with diverse sources, individuals may self-select content that confirms rather than challenges their political biases. But we contrast these issues of self-selection with Russia’s information war on Ukraine. Russia limits diversity in public communication by censoring mainstream and digital media to support its political narrative about its special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine. Can political communication studies reset its research agenda to move beyond techno-deterministic concerns? Research needs to address the return of state propaganda and disinformation as central features of geo-political information warfare in liberal democratic as well as authoritarian societies.