This opening chapter introduces the concept of casual democracy through the decline of local journalism in Ringwood, England, and Frederiksberg, Denmark—two contrasting yet similarly “platformised” communities. Once anchored in newspapers and professional reporting, their local public spheres are now driven by Facebook groups and informal digital networks. The chapter critiques the “news desert” metaphor for oversimplifying the crisis of local news and assuming journalism’s exclusive role in sustaining democracy. Instead, it proposes a more nuanced ethnographic approach to understanding how civic life continues, or falters, without traditional local media. By tracing how residents navigate information, trust, and participation in these post-journalistic environments, the chapter sets the stage for an exploration of how local democracy transforms in the platform age.