In times of democratic backsliding and deepening public distrust, how resilient is media pluralism across the European Union and its candidate countries? The 2025 edition of the Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM) report delivers an answer grounded in data, insight, and the expertise of a wide network of researchers across 32 countries.
This final conference marks the culmination of a year-long research. The day will begin with an overview of the MPM’s updated methodology, reflecting a changing information and regulatory ecosystem and the need for sharper tools to detect risk. The core findings will be presented across four key areas: Fundamental Protection, examining threats to the legal and institutional safety net for journalism; Market Plurality, which reveals structural imbalances and economic fragility of the media; Political Independence, highlighting areas where political power might exert undue influence; and Social Inclusiveness, shedding light on marginalisation in representation and access.
The sessions will also present the overall rankings across EU member states and candidate countries, with special attention to shifts in countries under political stress, such as Serbia. We will also focus on elections and platforms, with a roundtable with country researchers to explore the outcome of recent national elections, the behavior of Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) under the Digital Services Act, and persistent threats to journalists' safety. Discussions will touch on issues ranging from public service media resilience in Italy to election-year pressures in Romania, and more.
The conference concludes with reflections on how the forthcoming European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) intersects with the findings of the MPM, and what this means for the future of independent, diverse media across the continent.
At the EUI and the Robert Schuman Centre, we are dedicated to removing barriers and providing equal opportunities for everyone. Please indicate in the registration form your accessibility needs, if any. Alternatively, you can contact the logistics organiser of the event.