Shock as Orbán allies buy Hungary’s most-read newspaper | Hungary

Journalists working at Hungary’s most read newspaper expressed their shock after a media group seen as close to Fidesz, the party of nationalist prime minister Viktor Orbán, bought the tabloid from its previous Swiss owners.

The purchase, which comes as Hungary prepares for next year’s crucial elections in which Orbán will face an unprecedented opposition challenge, is widely seen as another attempt by the government to increase its influence in the media.

Pro-Orbán media group Indamedia said on Friday it had bought a collection of Hungarian-language magazines from Ringier, including Glamor magazine and popular tabloid Blikk, whose news site reaches nearly three million online readers a month.

Blikk’s outgoing editor-in-chief Ivan Zsolt Nagy said on Monday that he and another senior executive were leaving by “mutual agreement” with the new owner.

They were hired seven months ago to reposition Blikk “by focusing on interesting stories, not sensationalism” and to be “more public-oriented, covering politics, economics and culture”, AFP reported on Facebook.

Blikk staff said they were shocked. “I almost had a heart attack when I heard the announcement,” said one reporter who wished to remain anonymous. “From my perspective, this is morally unacceptable.”

Blikk announced its new editor-in-chief, Balázs Kolossváry.

Many journalists who decided to stay say that they are in a difficult situation because there is no other medium they can turn to. Over the last 15 years, Orbán has been able to use the ever-expanding pro-government media environment to bolster his image and polls.

While major media transactions tend to happen either after elections or during a quiet political period, the acquisition of Ringier Hungary took place less than six months before the general election in April. Blikk was seen as a priority target for Orbán and his party at a time when polls signaled they were facing a real challenger for the first time in more than a decade.

Opposition leader Péter Magyar, whose Respect and Freedom, or Tisza, party campaigned on a promise to root out entrenched corruption, has been outspoken about Orbán’s “propaganda factory” and the damage he says it is doing to Hungarian democracy.

Ringier criticized the Hungary deal, saying it represented another attempt by Orbán to solidify his control over Hungary’s media outlets.

Although Blikk is a tabloid famous for its gossip column and exaggerated headlines, it has also published many articles about corruption allegations in the last few years. Ágnes Urbán, director of the Mérték Media Monitor watchdog, said its readers were “very important to Fidesz”.

“Blikk is by far the most read daily newspaper and market leader in Hungary,” said Urbán. “Its online site has become surprisingly popular in recent years, becoming the fourth most read online site in Hungary. If propaganda is so widely read and featured in popular media, it will have an impact on the public.”

For more than a decade, Hungary has served as a model for other “illiberal democracies” around the world. Donald Trump and his allies have long praised Orbán’s Hungary. Decline in press freedom rankings. In 2022, Orbán told a conference of US conservatives (CPAC) that the path to power requires “having your own media”.

In 2010, Orbán’s government passed a law that established government control over the main media regulator, leaving the state broadcaster in the hands of loyalists.

Indamedia is 50% owned by pro-government businessman Miklós Vaszily, who is also CEO of the pro-government private channel TV2.

Gábor Ziegler, Indamedia’s other co-owner and CEO, said in a statement: “With the acquisition of Ringier Hungary, the group acquires a well-performing media company of similar size to Indamedia, with strong market positions and successful brands that play a decisive role in the Hungarian media landscape.”

In a statement sent to AFP over the weekend, Ringier said the decision to sell was “based solely on strategic economic considerations and our focus on our core digital activities in Hungary.”

A government spokesman has been approached for comment.