The crisis of “intermediary structures” (political parties, trade unions, etc.) is at the intersection of two different tendencies: from one side, the delegitimization of political institutions and general public mistrust; from the other side, the emergence of active citizenship and engagement in a reshaping of institutional design. Communication and digital media seem to provide new opportunities for political inclusion: from e-voting and the computerization of organizational infrastructure and circuits of parliamentary decision-making, to the creation of a new public sphere centred on discursive and participatory/deliberative practices. The aim of this conversation is to discuss the relationship between media, political participation and democratic innovations in Italy.