Invasive forest pests are often first detected in urban forests, making these environments strategic for early warning and global forest protection efforts. Although early detection is crucial to the success of eradication measures, the surveillance capacity of official authorities is limited. Citizen science can help bridge this gap — provided that citizens are aware of the stakes and prepared to play an active role. In this context, mainstream media may serve as a key channel to raise public awareness. We surveyed mainstream media coverage of 14 native, exotic, and quarantine forest pests across 15 European countries. Our findings reveal a consistent background level of media attention to forest pest issues. While quarantine species are mentioned less frequently than native pests, they are more likely to be covered in countries where they have occurred, remain present, or have been eradicated. Interestingly, we also found references to quarantine pests in countries where they are not officially reported. Altogether, our exploratory research highlights the significant potential of mainstream media to attract public attention to forest health issues—an opportunity that should be more systematically leveraged to support early detection and citizen engagement.