journalists

What’s next for Index? New Editor in Chief announced

An announcement about the new management of Index has been issued.

“In recent weeks, there has been major public and media interest regarding the change in the editorial board of Index, during which the vast majority of the former editorial board decided to leave the newspaper,” the announcement stated, 444 reported. The most important goal remains to preserve the independence and unique tone of the newspaper, so the rebuilding of the editorial office began.

The first phase of the reconstruction of Index has been completed, with new management being set up for the site. Pál Szombathy will start as Editor in Chief and CEO. He was appointed to this position by the chairman of the board.

The new management line-up is the following:

Pál Szombathy: CEO and Editor in Chief (former Editor in Chief of Magyar Televízió – A Hét, Editor in Chief of Magyar Hírlap, the host of Á la carte, and the host of Digisport Reggeli Start)
András Sztankóczy: Strategic Director and Chief Editor
Szonja Kitzinger: Deputy Editor in Chief for Economy, Culture, and Entertainment (former employee of Magyar Rádió, Figyelő, and Marquard Media)
Gergely Ákos Balogh: Deputy Editor in Chief for Organisational Development (professor and former Director of Communications at Corvinus University, and the founding Editor in Chief of Mandiner)
Zoltán Fekete-Szalóky: News Director (responsible editor of Inforádió for 18 years)

Not only the management has been reconstructed, but almost 30 new staff members will start editorial work in the coming days, such as columnists, senior editors, and journalists.

The main goal of the management is to ensure the newspaper runs smoothly and to provide their readers with diverse content of good quality, just like in previous years.

Read alsoPro-govt Hungarian businessman buys huge stake in top Hungarian news portal Index

Read alsoAlmost entire staff quits – An update on the Index case

Read alsoIndex affair triggers demonstration in Budapest – Photos

August 28, 2020

Almost entire staff quits – An update on the Index case

Only two days after their editor in chief was fired, the majority of Index’s staff handed in their resignations. This is not only to support their colleague, but an unprecedented, powerful, and courageous stance to protect media freedom.

Chief editor of Index Szabolcs Dull was fired from his post last Wednesday, shocking not only the staff but a whole country of devoted readers. To support Dull and the integrity of the news site, almost the entire editorial staff quit by Friday. By Monday this week, 86 people handed in their resignations.

Read alsoFinancial Times: “Independent media in Hungary shrinking since Orbán returned to power”

Why did they quit?

Former editor at Index Tamás Fábián wrote on Facebook:

“If we had stayed, Index would have died slowly. We did not let them quietly let Index bleed out and dishonour everything we have built over the last 21 years.”

The staff was not willing to cave under (political) pressure. They refused to continue working in an environment where they would have had to follow specific instructions on what and how they could write about.

László Bodolai, chief of the foundation that exercises the employer’s rights at Index, initiated the dismissal of Szabolcs Dull. Bodolai claims to have received a ton of CVs from people who are desperate to work for Index. However, other sources claim that Bodolai and his partners keep reaching out for people asking them to come to Index.

Polish newspaper sympathises with Index by a Hungarian message on their cover, hvg reports.

The message reads as:

“Dear Hungarian Friends! We are deeply outraged by the higher power’s brutal attack against Index. We are with you in this difficult hour, admiring your courageous stance. Authoritarian power threatens the free press in Poland too. We are, as many times before throughout history, in need of the Polish-Hungarian solidarity to protect freedom and democracy. We must stick together! The editorial staff of Gazeta Wyborcza.”

Gazeta Wyborcza is a daily newspaper published in Poland. It was Poland’s first post-communist independent daily newspaper. It covers political, international and general news from a liberal perspective.

Read alsoIndex affair triggers demonstration in Budapest – Photos

July 28, 2020

Index affair triggers demonstration in Budapest – Photos

A demonstration was held in Budapest on Friday evening in protest against the dismissal of the editor-in-chief of news website index.hu, for media freedom.

The protest started at the editorial office in north Buda, then the demonstrators marched to Buda Castle.

Read alsoFinancial Times: “Independent media in Hungary shrinking since Orbán returned to power”

László Bodolai, chief of the foundation that exercises the employer’s rights at Index, initiated the dismissal of Szabolcs Dull on Wednesday.

On Friday, the portal announced in a “service statement” that all editors and almost all staff members had decided to quit.

“The journalists of Index have demonstrated that it makes sense having a moral backbone in this country,” András Fekete-Győr, leader of the opposition Momentum party, told the crowd, which filled Szent György Square next to the prime minister’s and the presidential office.

They had to stand up because “100 metres from here there is a cowardly little man who does not dare to face a mirror”, he said, adding that “we are fed up with cowardly politicians and their propagandists.”

Read alsoVice President Věra Jourová: Solidarity with Index journalists

“I would like to build a Hungary of brave people, a country with a free press, an unbiased public media, an independent Academy of Sciences, a country with a Central European University and Index,” Fekete-Győr said.

Independent lawmaker Ákos Hadházy said that “this demonstration should not be the last, the protests should continue”.

He insisted that the senior officials of the public media should be appointed on the basis of consensus.

“There is no regime against which you can’t fight successfully but the stricter the dictatorial rule, the stronger resistance one should put up against it,” he said.

The demonstration was initiated by Momentum and attended by politicians of several left-wing parties.

July 25, 2020

Media Pluralism in the EU: Hungary far behind the other member states, closer to Turkey

The European University Institute conducted a study examining media pluralism in 28 EU Member States, Albania, and Turkey. Sadly, results indicate that in this regard, Hungary is far closer to Turkey than other EU states.

The European University Institute is an international postgraduate and post-doctoral teaching and research institute established by European Union member states to contribute to cultural and scientific development in the social sciences. Media pluralism defines the state of having a plurality of voices, opinions, and analyses on media systems or the coexistence of different and diverse types of media and media support. Many believe that media pluralism is an essential part of every democratic state.

Study

In this study, researchers used the Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM), which is a research tool designed to identify potential risks to media pluralism. Four variables were created to represent all the main areas considered to be risks to media pluralism and media freedom. These variables are (1) Basic Protection, (2) Market Plurality, (3) Political Independence, and (4) Social Inclusiveness.

Main findings

Basic Protection: The majority of the countries included in the study scored a low risk when it comes to the Basic Protection area. Only 11 countries scored medium risk, including Hungary.
Market Plurality: No country scored a low risk, and this area has the highest average risk among the areas. The majority of countries score a medium risk, while 13 countries score a high-risk, including Hungary.

Political Independence: There are only 7 countries that scored a high risk: Bulgaria, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and Turkey.

Social Inclusiveness: Two-thirds of the countries (22) scored a medium risk (including Hungary), 5 countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania, and Turkey) scored a high risk, while only 3 countries (France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) scored a low risk.

Hungary’s results

Results are not shocking to anyone who has been keeping up to date with the latest news about the state of journalism in Hungary.

Hungary scored a “high risk” for both Market Plurality and Political Independence and a “medium risk” for Basic Protection and Social Inclusiveness.

The establishment of the Central European Press and Media Foundation (KESMA) had a major influence on Hungary’s high scores in Market Plurality. KESMA is basically a large number of pro-government media companies who united as one in 2018. Around 500 media titles (TV and radio channels, newspapers, tabloids, magazines, online news sites) work under the umbrella of this media giant, a merger that would not have been possible if Orbán did not change the laws for “the national interest.”

Read alsoOrbán and government’s huge media empire unites as one

State regulation of resources and support for the media sector score the highest risk (97%) not only within the Political Independence variable but also in the entire report, mainly caused by “the lack of fair rules and transparency on distribution of state advertising” in the country.

Researchers conclude that:

“… the political takeover of the media [in Hungary] is a gradual process (…) The risks were clearly visible five years ago, and they are crystallized now. What is happening in Hungary on the media landscape, can occur in every other country. It seems that formal legal mechanisms, democratic institutions and the system of checks and balances can’t protect freedom of expression, freedom of press and media pluralism if the power gained by democratic elections is large enough to make land sliding structural changes without any democratic agreement, public debate or reaction.”

For more detailed information, please read the original study by clicking here. If you are interested in Hungary’s results specifically, click here.

July 25, 2020

Financial Times: “Independent media in Hungary shrinking since Orbán returned to power”

Why does the Financial Times write about a chief editor being fired in Hungary? The whole world is talking about the Index case, and they are worried about the end of press freedom in Hungary. What is the Index case? Find out.

It has been quite clear that ever since he took power in 2010, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has focused on extending his influence over the media, using legal levers, ownership changes, and channelling advertising money towards media outlets providing more “loyal” coverage.

Global media has not been silent about press freedom being in danger in Hungary. Peter Klein, the host of an Austrian talk show called Gute Nacht Österreich, basically called out Viktor Orbán on TV, touching upon topics like how Orbán built his media empire.

Read alsoAustrian TV show frightens and makes people laugh at the same time with how bad Hungary’s media situation is

The Index Case

People started paying more attention to what is happening to popular news outlet Index when Hungarian businessman Miklós Vaszily (chairman of pro-government TV2) bought a 50% stake in Indamedia, a holding company which controls the advertising revenue channels for Hungary’s most popular independent news site, Index.hu.

Read alsoPro-govt Hungarian businessman buys huge stake in top Hungarian news portal Index

Vaszily said in an interview that: “Their role is to operate a media company that is independent of all political sides and likeable for readers of all world views, and to be the largest.” This is coming from the same man who was formerly chief executive of another Hungarian independent website (Origo.hu) which basically turned into a pro-government outlet under his management. He subsequently became chief executive of the Hungarian state media conglomerate, widely seen as a government mouthpiece, before joining TV2.

Shortly after Vaszily’s involvement, Szabolcs Dull, editor in chief at Index, put a barometer on their website indicating whether Index is “independent”, “in danger”, or “not independent.” In June 2020, the barometer shifted toward “in danger.”

Dull also shared details of a possible re-organisation of the staff at Index. There was a proposal that Index would remain the vessel, but content creation would be outsourced to other companies.

Not long after this, Dull was fired from Index.

The editor of another well-known independent news site told the Financial Times:

“This is a very, very worrying sign. I am extremely pessimistic about the outlook of free media or pluralistic public discourse in Hungary.”

Symptoms of a bigger problem

Reporters Without Borders, one of the leading organisations defending the rights of journalists and promoting the freedom of information, has published its annual index in April, evaluating the degree of press freedom in 180 countries and territories. Hungary finished among the last 10 European countries (89th). The level of media control in Hungary was “unprecedented in an EU member state”.

Read alsoHungary ranked 89th out of 180 countries considering its degree of press freedom

Even Vice President of the European Commission Věra Jourová showed solidarity with the journalists of Index stating in a letter that “What you are doing, the values you are fighting for, media freedom and pluralism, are essential for democracy, and for Europe – and all the supporting messages of your readers testify of the importance of your work”.

Read alsoVice President Věra Jourová: Solidarity with Index journalists

July 24, 2020

The New York Times: Trump to follow in Orbán’s footsteps

In a recent opinion piece, The New York Times journalist Paul Krugman warns readers that if re-elected, Donald Trump is likely to follow in Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s footsteps by dismantling democracy in the U.S.

The article titled “Donald Trump Is No Richard Nixon” was published in The New York Times on 4 June 2020. In the beginning, Krugman contrasts Trump’s presidency with that of Richard Nixon and explains the vast differences between the two leaders. Then, Krugman goes on to claim that if Trump is re-elected, the United States can easily follow in Hungary’s footsteps in becoming a democracy only on paper but an authoritarian country in reality.

Read alsoThe Guardian: Viktor Orbán is dismantling democracy

Krugman writes:

“At this point it’s alarmingly easy to see how the United States could follow the path already taken by Hungary, becoming a democracy on paper but an authoritarian one-party state in practice. And I’m not talking about the distant future: It could happen this year, if Trump wins re-election — or even, potentially, if he loses but refuses to accept the results.”

Krugman also states that Trump is able to threaten democracy partly because he has so many enablers. Trump and Orbán do seem to use similar tactics and have a similar base. Krugman mentions that Trump’s base “gets its information from Fox and Facebook and basically lives in an alternate reality,” which is almost identical to Orbán’s base who watch nothing but government-owned M1.

Krugman has drawn a comparison between Trump and Orbán before. In a 2019 article titled “Why Isn’t Trump a Real Populist?“, he actually predicted the same thing he is claiming now. Krugman wrote that both Trump and Orbán “gained power by exploiting white resentment against immigrants and global elites.”

“There are indeed strong and scary parallels: Orban has effectively turned Hungary into an authoritarian state, retaining the forms of democracy but rigging the system in such a way that his party has a permanent lock on power. It’s alarmingly easy to envision the U.S. going the same way, and very soon: If Trump is re-elected next year, that could mark the end of America’s democratic experiment.”

June 6, 2020

Hungary’s most popular women’s magazine: If your husband beats you, just be nicer to him

A column in one of Hungary’s top women’s magazines caused national outrage after they printed being nicer and more patient as “legitimate” advice to a domestic abuse victim. Since then, the magazine came out with a public apology.

Index reports that Chief Editor of Nők Lapja took responsibility and released a public apology stating that from now on, only trained professionals will be allowed to advise people in especially difficult situations.

Nők Lapja (literally means women’s magazine) is a weekly magazine addressing topics that (the editorial staff believes) women tend to enjoy reading. One of the magazine’s contributors is Lilla Koronczay who has a column called Tárd ki a szíved! (Open up your heart!). This column addresses readers’ letters sent to the magazine, usually asking for advice. Koronczay recently gave one piece of advice that caused national outrage.

In the letter, a woman wrote about an incident that happened to her after dinner one night. Namely, that her husband slapped her in front of their children. She writes that her children were terrified, and she can still feel the burning on her face.

In her response to this letter, Koronczay wrote that the reader’s husband must have been feeling low and irritable due to the loss of his job, and he must have regretted his actions already.

Koronczay advised that the wife be nicer and more understanding with her husband and that they should simply try to talk to each other about what happened. Koronczay also claims that as the wife, she should be more understanding because “women tend to be more empathetic than men.”

National media picked the story up immediately. Among the firsts to respond was Vera Mérő, founder of the page called Nem tehetsz róla, tehetsz ellene (It’s not your fault, but you can do something about it). The organisation fights against today’s victim-blaming rape culture. Mérő, amongst many others, found Koronczay’s advice outrageous and immediately addressed the entire magazine in an open letter.

It did not take long until Editor in Chief, Andrea Vékási publicly apologised for the column’s contents. She takes responsibility for the magazine’s mistake of letting someone give advice who was not a trained professional. In the name of the entire magazine, she apologised to everyone.

“The magazine condemns all forms of violence, including domestic violence, let that be emotional, verbal, or physical.” Columnist Lilla Koronczay also personally apologised, and stated that “there is no excuse even for one slap in the face, and violence is intolerable in all cases.”

Read alsoShocking: Domestic abuse kills at least one woman weekly in Hungary

Featured image: Illustration/Pixabay

May 27, 2020

Hungary ranked 89th out of 180 countries considering its degree of press freedom

Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontières, RSF in French), one of the leading organisations defending the rights of journalists and promoting the freedom of information, has published its annual index evaluating the degree of press freedom in 180 countries and territories.

Compared to the results of the previous year, Hungary’s ranking fell 2 places. RSF explained that

“2019 was relatively quiet year in the Hungarian media”

and the ownership structure did not show significant changes. The organisation also added that, in 2019, the government’s control over the media was strengthened by the re-election of the Media Council.

The Hungarian media landscape was dominated by the pro-government media foundation, the Central European Press and Media Foundation (abbreviated as KESMA in Hungarian) and independent journalists had rather limited access to information.

Read alsoWhere is Budapest on the list of the world’s most stressed-out cities?

The top 4 countries with the most considerable press freedom are all Nordic countries: Norway (being in first place for the fourth year in a row), Finland, Denmark, Sweden. They are followed by the Netherlands, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Switzerland, New Zealand and Portugal.

The complete list is available on the organisation’s website.

Together with countries such as Serbia (93^rd), Ukraine (96^th) and Bulgaria (111^th), Hungary is among the last 10 European countries on the list.

The organisation identified a correlation between the countries’ response to the current coronavirus pandemic and the degree of media freedom. According to Christophe Deloire, the secretary-general of RSF,

“We are entering a decisive decade for journalism linked to crises that affect its future. The coronavirus pandemic illustrates the negative factors threatening the right to reliable information, and is itself an exacerbating factor.”

Read alsoHungary listed among the top global real estate markets in 2020

April 22, 2020

Journalism, Chinese help, and healthcare system: Uncertainty ensues in Hungary?

“The militarisation of Hungarian society is growing. Orbán’s view of soldiers is that they should create a sense of security among people,” explains Márton Gergely, the deputy editor-in-chief of the Hungarian independent weekly called HVG, reports Visegrad Insight.

According to him, military patrols in Budapest with camouflage uniforms and machine guns began after the terrorist attacks in Europe in recent years. Added to this was the migration crisis in 2015, which put certain areas of Hungary in a state of emergency, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, and allowed the border army to patrol alongside the police.

One of the risks according to Gergely is that under the pretext of fighting the pandemic, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will be able to enforce completely different, fundamental measures for his own benefit, such as in the area of justice.

“Perhaps the controversial reform of the judiciary, which Orbán withdrew a year ago – probably because unlike he had imagined, he failed in the elections. There is now a risk that the emergency measures will bring these reforms after all. And that the rules for the appointment of judges will change right away, which would break down one of the last obstacles facing Orbán today, that is the middle class of the Hungarian judiciary so to speak, ” warns Gergely.

As a journalist from independent media, he represents a minority in Hungary. And it is difficult to get information from the Hungarian government or other authorities.

“In early March, the government introduced a daily briefing with police officers, epidemiologists, and members of the government. The independent media was also there, but interestingly, the pro-government media sometimes asked important and relevant questions. The Hungarian government initially failed in ‘message control’ and the government media did not know what the ‘right questions’ were, and thus simply asked normal journalistic questions,” says Gergely.

Gergely describes a dead-end which the Hungarian independent media are repeatedly facing.

Supplies of protective equipment from China are currently heading to Hungary. “In the last issue of our weekly, we have an article about how the state buys protective equipment and tests from China for millions of euros through a Hungarian-Chinese company that nobody knew before last year and which belongs to Chinese living in Hungary,” says Gergely. Hungarians are not very interested.

“Orbán himself welcomed a plane with assistance supplies from China at the airport and took a picture of how he is talking to Chinese pilots without a respirator,” he describes scenes similar to those from the airport in Prague.

Reporters recalled that over the past fifteen years or so, the Hungarian health sector has undergone repeated restructuring, with aims that were often contradicting each other. Epidemiology has also been severely affected by the departure of a number of experts. This weakens the country’s ability to face a pandemic.

All investigative documentation is also characteristic of contemporary Hungary in the way Hungarian politicians and officials – both former and contemporary – deal with journalists’ questions. Nobody answered their questions.

New law in Hungary could put journalists behind bars for spreading fake news about COVID-19

The Hungarian National Assembly is scheduled to vote on March 31 on a set of amendments to the country’s penal code that would indefinitely extend the current state of emergency in place in response to the coronavirus outbreak, and which would impose prison sentences on those deemed to be spreading false information about the pandemic, according to news reports and the amendments, which CPJ reviewed. Hungary declared a state of emergency on March 11, cancelling most public events and restricting entry into the country, according to reports.

Government officials and pro-government media outlets have accused independent media organisations of spreading false information when they have questioned the government’s approach to handling the coronavirus crisis, according to news reports. The amendments include prison sentences of up to three years for those convicted of spreading falsehoods about the virus that is “alarming or agitating [to] a large group of people,” and would impose prison terms of up to five years for those convicted of spreading falsehood or “distorted truth” that has negative repercussions for public health.

In recent years, the government has systematically dismantled media independence and used verbal attacks, lawsuits, and other means to harass critical journalists in Hungary. The draft amendments are part of a package of laws that would grant many new means of power to the government, according to news reports. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party has a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly and will not need opposition parties’ support to pass the measures, according to the reports.

Read alsoNew law in Hungary could put journalists behind bars for spreading fake news about COVID-19

“Hungarian lawmakers should reject the proposed penal code amendments that risk imprisoning journalists, and should only use the civil code for such issues,” said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Gulnoza Said in New York. “Independent reporting is an effective way to fight the coronavirus and should be encouraged; this crisis should not be used as a pretext to further curtail press freedom in Hungary.”

The Hungarian government’s international spokesperson, Zoltán Kovács, sent an article he wrote, which stated that the amendments were “creating sanction for reckless speech that could impair or thwart efforts to protect people from the spread of the virus.”

Read alsoCoronavirus – Hungarian mayor makes disinfectant out of pálinka

March 26, 2020

Politico exposes Hungarian state media censorship: see what’s on the government’s watch list

The government can continue to reject criticism concerning the state of media freedom in Hungary, but the facts speak for themselves. A series of emails confirm what many suspected for a long time, namely that state media has a list of sensitive topics for which journalists need approval from higher up.

POLITICO obtained several emails from anonymous state media employees in which senior editors tell their staff to require permission from higher up if they want to cover specific topics in their articles. The emails obtained by Politico come from state media outlets such as the state news agency MTI and other television and radio stations.

Read alsoAustrian TV show frightens and makes people laugh at the same time with how bad Hungary’s media situation is

These emails were sent to the employees by the key players of state media, a.k.a. the senior editors and bosses, detailing how the staff is required to submit draft content for approval concerning certain topics. In some extreme cases, journalists are prohibited from writing a single word on an issue until they get permission from higher up. No one is quite sure who approves these articles. When an article gets rejected by these unknown decision-makers, senior editors often refer to it as the report that “fell in battle.”

What are these topics, you ask?

The state media’s “list of sensitive topics” include:

European politics (parliamentary, presidential and local elections)
Migration
Brussels
“Church issues”
“Greta Thunberg materials”

In the case of “Greta Thunberg materials”, editors need consent from the editor-in-chief’s office before writing a single word.

The emails also confirm that all coverage of reports from leading human rights organisations (such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch) are banned.

Hungarian journalists have long raised concerns that state-owned media simply ignores specific politically sensitive issues in their reports. In 2018, thousands of anti-government protesters rallied outside MTVA’s headquarters calling for an objective public media in Hungary.

Despite all of this, the government continues to deny any criticism concerning the state of media freedom in Hungary.

Read alsoFidesz MEP rejects EP criticism on state of Hungary’s media freedom

March 3, 2020

The Guardian: Son of Saul is the 12th best film of the 21st century

Oscar-winning Hungarian feature film Son of Saul did not only make it to The Guardian’s list of the 100 best films of the 21st century, but it finished within the top 15. According to the British daily, the Hungarian drama is the 12th best film of our century.

Son of Saul is a 2015 drama film directed by László Nemes. The film is Nemes’s feature directorial debut. It is set in the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Second World War. The plot follows the life of Saul Ausländer, a member of the Sonderkommando. Saul, a Jewish prisoner himself, is forced to work in the gas chambers and crematoria. Saul goes to great lengths to give a dead boy, whom he calls his son, a proper burial.

The film premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix. It also won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2016. The prize is Hungary’s second in the category, as the first went to director István Szabó for Mephisto (1982).

Son of Saul also won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, becoming the first Hungarian film ever to win the award.

The film is described by The Guardian as:

“Brutally visceral fable that plunges the viewer headlong into the all-encompassing horror of a Nazi extermination camp. Shot in remorseless, unforgiving close-up by first time Hungarian director László Nemes, the story of a Jewish prison-camp worker whose job it is to help clear the gas chamber of corpses is cinema at its absolute rawest.”

In an earlier review of the film, Peter Bradshaw wrote:

“This film would be an achievement for anyone, but for a first-time feature director it is stunning – something to compare with Elem Klimov’s Come and See. Son of Saul reopens the debate around the Holocaust and its cinematic thinkability, addresses the aesthetic and moral issues connected with creating a fiction within it and probes the nature of Wittgenstein’s axiom “whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent.”

According to The Guardian, the five best films of the 21st century are:

There Will Be Blood (2007)
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Boyhood (2014)
Under the Skin (2013)
In the Mood for Love (2000)

September 14, 2019

Awful! Hungary dives down in the rankings of the World Press Freedom Index!

According to a study conducted by Reporters Without Borders (RWB), Hungary is ranked 87th based on the World Press Freedom Index. This is a considerably worse position to last year’s, and the situation continues to deteriorate.

Compared to last year’s ranking, Hungary fell 14 places, indicating that press freedom has declined in the country relative to other states. RWB, who are an international journalism organisation, have classified Hungary’s press situation as having “noticeable problems”. As reported by hvg.hu, in the 2019 rankings, Hungary is placed 87th out of 180 countries.

RWB’s latest report on Hungary stated:

“The ownership of Hungary’s media has continued to become increasingly concentrated in the hands of oligarchs allied with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ultra-nationalist government, with the result that the media landscape has been transformed in recent years. The most important critical media outlets have had to close, while the editorial independence of others has been threatened by the presence of pro-government oligarchs on their boards, among their shareholders or within the financial institutions that fund them.”

“The past year also saw the creation of a pro-Orbán consortium (KESMA) of around 500 privately-owned newspapers, cable TV channels, radio stations and news websites, and almost all of the regional daily newspapers. By declaring this consortium to be of “strategic national importance in the public interest,” the government has in practice prevented competing media outlets or media sector representatives from opposing it,” RWB also wrote.

At the time of KESMA’s creation, RWB published a statement which warned that the consortium was threatening the diversity of the Hungarian press.

Worse than North Korea

The first place of the World Press Freedom Index is Norway followed by Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark. At the end of the list is Turkmenistan, which is positioned after North Korea and Eritrea. With its 87th position, Hungary was around countries like Sierra Leone (86), Peru (85) Israel (88), Guinea-Bissau (89) and Serbia (90).

RWB have been conducting their yearly survey of the world’s press since 2002 and have been investigating the extent to which media pluralism, the independence of the press, and respect for journalists’ freedom and physical integrity is present in each country.

Hungary was ranked 40th in 2011, and since then, it has fallen to its current lowly standing. The main reasons for this are its media laws and increased censorship.

At the end of last year, the public protested the government’s control of the press outside the public media headquarters. Earlier this year, we reported that Hungary failed to meet the Council of Europe’s media freedom guidelines.

April 19, 2019

How did the world react to Fidesz’s suspension from the EPP?

The decision of the European People’s Party to suspend Fidesz’s membership for the time being could be a humiliating decision and a clever trick at the same time. However, according to journals all over the world, Viktor Orbán still wants to be part of the family, which is seen as cold and calculating political manipulation.

The news of the week certainly seems to be that Hungarian ruling party Fidesz was suspended from the European People’s Party, so close to the European Parliament elections. It was heavily featured in the media in Hungary and abroad as well – reports Privatbankar.

[button link=”#https://dailynewshungary.com/hungary-parties-divided-on-outcome-of-epp-meeting/” type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Hungarian parties divided on EPP meeting outcome[/button]

Die Welt

According to the German paper, Die Welt, the European People’s Party humiliated Orbán with their decision. The conservative German daily newspaper explained that now, Fidesz no longer has rights in the party but still has to support it.

“Orbán always says that he is a proud Hungarian, but as such, he never should have accepted such humiliation and instead should have put a stop to it on his own. But since this is not what had happened, it suggests that Orbán desperately needs the EPP and still wants to use the conservative party connected to many important heads of state as a power base. He does not want to stand in the dirty corner with Le Pen and the others.”

According to Die Welt, the EPP should have expelled Fidesz a long time ago, as the Hungarian government’s actions have not been in accordance with the party’s fundamental values, as shown by numerous investigations. Nevertheless, the EPP decided to set up another committee to investigate keeping to the fundamental values.

On the other hand, Die Welt also praised Manfred Weber for this brilliant trick.

The paper explained that this decision suggests authority and a strong stance towards Orbán’s politics while giving Fidesz the chance to make changes and re-join the party at the same time.

It is not necessarily clean, but certainly a smart decision when it comes to power politics.

BBC

The BBC also dedicated some pieces to the Hungarian situation. According to Nick Thorpe, the Budapest correspondent, it is cold political calculations that led Orbán to still want to hold on to the EPP membership. First of all, most Fidesz voters are pro-EU.

“Many Fidesz voters fear that falling out of one European institution – the EPP – would be the first stumble on a slope which would lead to Hungary falling out of the European Union altogether.”

Thorpe also added that this way, the Hungarian government can still use the EPP as a platform for their anti-migrant rhetoric. And, depending on how the anti-migrant parties perform in the elections in May, they may choose to leave the EPP completely and join them instead.

The New York Times

The New York Times also dedicated some time to dwell on Hungary’s current situation in the EU. According to the influential paper, Orbán has been building a soft dictatorship within the EU for the past nine years, and the EPP has been enabling him. It was also mentioned that, due to the suspension, they could still count on Fidesz members to draw votes away from populist right-wing politicians.

What went down

The immediate suspension of Fidesz was widely supported, with 190 votes for it and only three against it. According to official statements, the decision was jointly made by the EPP and Fidesz.

The issue had to be dealt with because 13 members suggested the suspension or even expulsion of Fidesz from the EPP.

This means that Viktor Orbán cannot attend the usual meetings of the EPP, there cannot be a Fidesz politician in any of the positions within the EPP and they cannot express their opinion about the future policies. At the same time, an investigative commission has been set up that will monitor Fidesz policies and the happenings of the country. Until they finish carrying out the investigation, the membership of Fidesz will be suspended.

Featured image: MTI/ Balázs Szecsődi

‘Huxit’ at stake in EP elections?

March 22, 2019

10 Hungarians who changed the world – VIDEO

It is impossible to fit every Hungarian inventor into a simple list. However, the work of these 10 people definitely contributed to how we live our lives today.

Szeretlekmagyarország.hu posted a quite interesting video created by Hungarian YouTube channel Tízes lista. The creators of Tízes lista post their videos on a weekly basis. They create various lists of the top 10 of something interesting or intriguing. You can check out their channel here.

Tízes lista collected 10 Hungarian people who had a major impact on the history of humanity. You have probably heard about all of these Hungarians before, but it is very satisfying to see them one by one, collected in one comprehensive list. If you speak Hungarian and do not feel like reading, skip to the end and watch the full video.

Ignaz Semmelweis, the saviour of mothers

He was a Hungarian doctor who basically came up with the compulsory hand wash for doctors with the chlorinated solution before any procedure in order not to transfer lethal bacteria to other patients, especially mothers giving birth. If you want to learn more about this, check out our article about Ignaz Semmelweis, the saviour of mothers:

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/learn-about-ignaz-semmelweis-the-savior-of-mothers/” type=”big” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] Ignaz Semmelweis, the saviour of mothers[/button]

Mihály Kertész

You might know him as Michael Curtiz, the creates director you never heard of, according to Tízes lista. He was one of the firsts to start directing silent movies, and he directed over 40 movies during his career in Hungary. He later emigrated to the United States, where he was hired by Warner Brothers. In the U.S., he directed over 100 films, including the all-time-favourite Casablanca.

Gábor ZsaZsa

One could say that she was the first celebrity ever. She moved to the United States in 1941, and she became an actress. Even though she received a Golden Globe and has a star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame, everybody knew her name from all the drama that was surrounding her. She married 9 times, one husband was always richer than the last one. She even went to prison for hitting a police officer. She was constantly in the centre of attention even after she stopped doing movies.

Count András

Hungarian engineer and businessman. He emigrated to the United States in 1957 and became the Engineer Director of the newly established company Intel. Intel became one of the biggest microchip producers in the world. He was among the ones who laid the foundations of modern technology.

Judit Polgár

Judit Polgár fought for gender equality in a very unusual battlefield: on the Chessboard. She became an extremely successful Chess player and quickly became one of the 100 best players in the world. She was also the first woman to be among the top 10 best players in the world! When she was young, only males played this highly strategic game, and Judit showed the world that women can also excel in a largely man-dominated field.

Albert Szent-Györgyi

Most people know Albert Szent-Györgyi as the scientist who discovered Vitamin C. He was also the first scientist to receive a Nobel Prize for the work he has done in Hungary. He stayed in Hungary during WWII, while worked as a spy to aid the Hungarian Resistance.

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/seven-interesting-facts-albert-szent-gyorgyi/” type=”big” color=”orange” newwindow=”yes”] Seven interesting facts about Albert Szent-Györgyi[/button]

József Pulitzer

Ever heard of the Pulitzer Prize? József Pulitzer worked as a journalist in Saint Louise, where he quickly became famous for his satirical writings. He later became a media mogul and moved to New York, where he laid the foundations of modern journalism, as well as introducing many new genres in journalism.

The list also contains Kálmán Tihanyi, a physicist and electrical engineer who invented the iconoscope which launched the era of electrical televisions; Ede Teller, the father of the Hydrogen bomb; and János Neumann who was a pure genius and was one of the most influential scientists of the world. There were no modern computers today if it was not for him.

You can watch the full video in Hungarian below:

Featured image: Commons.wikimedia.org By By Ibigelow

February 6, 2019

George Clooney’s wife has just compared Hungary to North Korea

Amal Clooney criticised Donald Trump for labelling the press “enemy of the people” and pointed out the harmful effects his rhetoric has had in autocratic regimes such as North Korea or Hungary.

The Telegraph reports about the United Nations Correspondents Association Awards recently held in New York where Clooney, a human rights barrister, called out President Trump for giving the ‘green light’ for “autocratic regimes from North Korea to the Philippines, to Hungary, Turkey and Brazil” to make out the press as the enemy. She also attributed the rise of populism all over the world to his rhetoric.

“The US president has given such regimes a green light and labelled the press in this country the enemy of the people.”

In her speech, Amal Clooney talked about the growing threat that affects journalists today, talking about two Reuters journalists who went to Myanmar to cover the murders of the Rohingya religious minority. Both Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo had to go to jail for seven years after this. She also mentioned the murder of Jamal Khashoggi that made the news a few months back.

“And you, the press, are under attack like never before. You are being jailed at a higher rate than ever. You are dying while covering wars, not just because you walk unarmed on the most dangerous places on earth but because you are being targeted for exposing crimes committed, for speaking the truth that perpetrators find the most difficult to hear.”

She also said that

“In many of the cases that I have worked on too, I have seen journalists and opposition figures ruthlessly targeted so that they can no longer criticise leaders.”

Two months ago, Khashoggi was brutally tortured, murdered and then dismembered in a pre-calculated attack. The crime took place in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, and Saudi Arabia admitted to having committed it. Even though Ryadh admitted to the crime, the involvement of the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman was denied.

Since the Crown Prince is a key ally in the Middle East and is one of the major customers for US arms and weaponry, no blame was put on him by the Trump administration. Clooney commented that the president is overly cautious about criticising Saudi Arabia, though 17 Saudi nationals were sanctioned by the US government.

Featured image: UK Mission to the UN New York – Flickr

December 9, 2018

Government Info Centre: Saving print media is of public interest

Saving the print media in Hungary is of public interest, the Government Information Centre (KTK) said on Wednesday, referring to the government decision to grant the Central European Press and Media Foundation’s acquisition of control over Opus Press, Echo TV, New Wave Media Group and Magyar Idők Publishing a status of special significance for national strategy.

The law prohibiting unfair market practices and restriction of competition enables the government to give certain company holdings the status of special significance for national strategy, the statement said.

The cabinet has so far made twenty-one such decisions, so the decision affecting the Central European Press and Media Foundation is not without example, it added.

The highlighted reason for the government decision is that saving the print media in Hungary is of public interest, especially in order to maintain the forums of publicity around the country in the long term, the statement said.

The foundation has set this target in its founding document and what makes it especially worthy of support is that it plans to fulfil this target on a not-for-profit basis, it added.

Featured image: www.facebook.com/Ripost

December 5, 2018

Opposition calls on speaker not to ban journalists from parliament

The opposition Democratic Coalition has initiated a law amendment proposing that the speaker of parliament should not be allowed to deny journalists entry to Parliament.

Ágnes Vadai, DK’s deputy group leader, told a press conference on Wednesday that under “the Orbán regime” certain journalists had been banned from Parliament for years.

She said László Kövér, parliament’s speaker, decided “on a whim” whom to allow into Parliament, making it impossible for the independent press to hold Fidesz politicians to account.

DK’s proposal is that only people who present a physical threat to parliamentary security or who provide false personal information should be deprived of access to the building.

Journalists who are refused entry should have the chance to appeal to the country’s supreme court, the Kúria, she added.

December 5, 2018