Hungarian state news staff push for editorial freedom as Magyar vows shake‑up

Over 90 journalists from Hungarian state news agency MTI have demanded the immediate restoration of impartial news coverage following election winner Peter Magyar‘s pledge to shake up state media, according to a letter obtained by Reuters

Over 90 journalists from Hungarian state news agency MTI have demanded the immediate restoration of impartial news coverage following election winner Peter Magyar‘s pledge to shake up state media, according to a letter obtained by Reuters.

Subscribe to read this story ad-free

Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.

Magyar, whose center-right TISZA party ​scored ⁠a landslide victory ⁠in ​Sunday’s ​elections​, said ⁠his ​government will ​suspend the news broadcast ​of ​public state media ‌until ⁠unbiased news coverage ​can ​be ⁠ensured as part of wider ​moves to restore press freedoms.

Critics at home and abroad have said Hungarian state media ⁠news broadcasts became a government mouthpiece under Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose government gradually shaped public media to its mold after being voted into office in 2010.