The Council of Europe held an online expert consultation on 29 September 2026 to support the development of a Practical Guide on Building Independent, Sustainable and Pluralistic Public Service Media, under the authority of the Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI).

Bringing together international experts and representatives of relevant organisations, the workshop provided an opportunity to exchange views on the preliminary draft of the Guide and contribute to its further development.

Discussions focused on translating existing Council of Europe standards into practical tools to address key challenges facing public service media, particularly in relation to their independence, financial sustainability, governance, editorial autonomy and accountability, as well as their ability to adapt to an evolving digital and platform-driven media environment.

The contributions received will inform the preparation of a revised version of the Guide, which will be discussed further by the CDMSI at its plenary meeting in December 2026.