The Parliamentary Assembly has expressed serious concern about the growing threats to media pluralism and independence across Europe, including the increasing control of media outlets by political and economic interests (known as "media capture"), pressure on public service media, the emergence of "news deserts", and the dominance of online platforms. It stresses that editorial independence must be protected and that public service media must be shielded from political interference. The Assembly highlights the particular dangers posed by Russia's war against Ukraine, which has resulted in journalists being killed, wounded, or unlawfully detained, and condemns the systematic dismantling of independent media in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. It also raises concerns about legal harassment, online threats, and the disproportionate targeting of women journalists. To address these challenges, the Assembly calls on Council of Europe member States to take concrete action, including strengthening media ownership transparency, supporting sustainable funding models for local and non-profit media, ensuring the independence of national media regulatory authorities, protecting journalists' safety, and tackling the growing influence of artificial intelligence and online platforms over media content and distribution.