Hungarians protest state media 'propaganda factory,' demand unbiased press

budapest, hungary — 

Thousands of protesters gathered extracurricular the office of Hungary's nationalist media corp Saturday to show against what they accidental is an entrenched propaganda web operated by the nationalist authorities astatine payer expense.

The protestation was organized by Hungary's astir salient absorption figure, Peter Magyar, and his upstart TISZA party, which has emerged successful caller months arsenic the astir superior governmental situation for Prime Minister Viktor Orban since helium took powerfulness astir 15 years ago.

Magyar, whose enactment received astir 30% of the ballot successful European Union elections this summertime and is polling wrong a fewer points of the governing Fidesz party, has been outspoken astir what helium sees arsenic the harm Orban's "propaganda factory" has done to Hungary's democracy.

"What is happening present successful Hungary successful 2024, and calling itself 'public service' media, is simply a planetary scandal," Magyar told the assemblage successful Budapest connected Saturday. "Enough of the nastiness, capable of the lies, capable of the propaganda. Our patience has tally out. The clip for confrontation has come."

Observers accidental property state nether threat

Both Hungarian and planetary observers person agelong warned that property state successful the Central European state was nether threat, and that Orban's enactment has utilized media buyouts by government-connected concern tycoons to physique a pro-government media empire.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders estimates that specified buyouts person fixed Orban's enactment power of immoderate 80% of Hungary's media marketplace resources. In 2021, the radical enactment Orban connected its database of media "predators," the archetypal EU person to gain the distinction.

On Saturday, Balazs Tompe, a protester who traveled respective hours to be the demonstration, called the authorities media office a "factory of lies."

"The propaganda goes retired astatine specified a level and is truthful unbalanced that it's humor boiling, and I deliberation we request to rise our voices," helium said. "It's nonsense that lone authorities propaganda comes retired successful the media that is financed by the taxpayers."

'Public lone hears from 1 side'

A retired teacher from confederate Hungary, Agnes Gera, said dissenting voices were censored from the nationalist media, limiting Hungarians' entree to accusation astir governmental alternatives.

"It's precise burdensome and unfortunate that the strategy works this mode wherever the nationalist lone hears from 1 broadside and don't adjacent cognize astir the different side," she said.

Magyar demanded the resignation of the nationalist media director, and echoed complaints from galore absorption politicians that they are not provided the accidental to look connected nationalist tv to pass with voters.

He called his supporters to different objection connected October 23, a nationalist vacation commemorating Hungary's failed gyration against Soviet domination successful 1956.