Survey: More media outlets critical of Hungarian government than at any time since 2010
The number of media outlets taking a critical stance on the government has been steadily growing since the last change of government in 2010, the Nézőpont Institute said in its 2024 Press Freedom report on Hungary released on Monday.
Compared with 36 critical domestic media outlets opposed to the government in 2010, there are now 61, the report said, adding that 34 critical websites were established in the past ten years.
“Whereas it is often said that press freedom is under attack in Hungary and that opposition media are being impeded, the precise opposite is the case,” the think-tank said.
Out of 15 print media, 7 are critical of the government while 8 favour it, the report said. Meanwhile, 12 out of 33 electronic media are opposed to the government and 21 are friendly. Further, 37 out of the 53 online platforms are against the government while 16 are for it, the think-tank added.
Fully 71 percent of the adult population (5.6 million people) get their information from sources critical of the government, while 64 percent (5.1 million people) get theirs from pro-government sources, it said, adding that the proportion of those who only obtain information from one type of media is low.
Media are easily accessible to anyone throughout the country, regardless of their attitude towards the government or political affiliation, it said.
Printed dailies and weeklies are distributed nationally and the major electronic media enjoy national coverage, Nézőpont said.
More than 8 million people can access TV channels and almost 93 percent of households have broadband. Moreover, there are 14 million mobile phone subscriptions in a country with a population of just below 10 million, the report said.
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4 Comments
Nezopont is LYING. I would take with a grain of salt their assessment of print media. Of course they don’t mention how critical television or radio are. The opposition has been banned from them and went to on-line and I personally witnessed Fidesz hacking disrupt an opposition on-line radio show. Billboards across the country are something Orwellian putting out the message of The Party. That in itself should tell you what goes on in Hungary. Just drive in from the airport and you know you are in Orbanistan.
Larry, if you do not believe the statistic, check all media outlets yourself. You may find that you made erroneous statement.
Nothing of SURPRISE, as History of the Orban – Fidesz Government, it is KNOWN the “rottenness” of there Culture, to deframe, use of Propaganda – there existing CONTROL of the Media, in Hungary.
SOLIDARITY – together to FIGHT, to ensure we revert back to a FREER media process within our country, must be another “item” on the agenda of the Tisza Party.
The media outlet that created the report is not independent. The analysis is based on obscure data sources and cherry picking dimensions. The conclusions are an exercise of biased creativity
That this newspaper is echoing the biased report might also indicate its lack of independence