There is a broad consensus that the quality of democracy depends on the quality of the information communicated to the public by the media. But opinion is divided on the nature of such quality and the criteria by which it should be measured, including the question on which levels quality should be measured (content, organizational characteristics, financial commitment, media system structure, audience preferences), and how the various levels interact. However, in times of accelerated changes in media production, distribution and consumption, it seems to be more important than ever to define reliable and valid measures of “media performance” (as Denis McQuail has labeled the idea of media quality in the public interest), to discuss how awareness of media quality can be fostered in today’s society, and to reflect on the role academics should play in this process, e.g. by implementing large-scale projects on the democratic quality of news that aim to stimulate debate not only in academia but also in public.