Hungary’s Assault on Independent Journalism: A Blueprint for Autocrats?
In the summer of 2024, Hungary’s Sovereignty Protection Office, a body created by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s administration, launched an investigation into Atlatszo, a respected Budapest-based investigative journalism center. The justification? Atlatszo’s acceptance of foreign funding, a practice the Office twisted into an accusation of "intelligence gathering" for foreign entities. This marked a chilling escalation in Orbán’s ongoing campaign to stifle critical voices and consolidate his control over the media landscape. Atlatszo’s founder, Tamás Bodoky, vehemently denied the accusations, asserting that their work serves the Hungarian people and their right to know. This incident underscores the precarious position of independent media in Hungary and raises alarms about the potential ripple effects across Central and Eastern Europe.
Orbán’s systematic dismantling of media freedom has become a worrying model for aspiring autocrats in the region. His strategy, as analyzed by media experts, involves a four-pronged approach: capturing regulatory bodies, seizing control of public service media, manipulating state advertising funds, and utilizing oligarchic networks to acquire media outlets. This methodical process allows the government to dominate the narrative without resorting to outright censorship, giving the appearance of legality while effectively silencing dissent. This strategy, while refined by Orbán, draws inspiration from the playbook of other authoritarian leaders, including Vladimir Putin in Russia and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey.
The Slovakian government, led by Robert Fico, appears to be following a similar path, albeit at an accelerated pace. Since returning to power in late 2023, Fico’s administration has implemented measures echoing Orbán’s tactics. These include dismantling public service broadcasting, installing loyalists in regulatory positions, and embracing disinformation channels as legitimate news sources. While Slovakia’s historical experience with authoritarianism under Vladimír Mečiar in the 1990s has fostered a more resilient media landscape less reliant on state advertising, concerns remain about the long-term sustainability of independent journalism under increasing government pressure.
A key element of this emerging model of media capture is the legitimization of online disinformation channels. These platforms are not only granted access to official press conferences and given exclusive interviews with government officials, but are also often directly funded through public resources. This provides a veneer of credibility while simultaneously amplifying pro-government propaganda and further marginalizing independent news organizations. This tactic mirrors the strategy employed during Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign in the United States and highlights the increasingly transnational nature of media manipulation.
The European Union’s newly enacted Media Freedom Act (EMFA), designed to protect media independence within member states, faces a critical test in this environment. While hailed as a significant step forward in safeguarding media pluralism, concerns persist about its effectiveness in countering sophisticated forms of media capture. Experts point to the Act’s focus on formal regulations rather than the underlying intent and spirit of implementation, which allows autocratic regimes to circumvent its provisions while maintaining a facade of compliance. The lengthy enforcement process further weakens the Act’s potential impact, giving governments ample time to entrench their control over the media landscape.
Journalists operating under these challenging conditions face the daunting task of maintaining their credibility and engaging their audience in a distorted information environment. Strategies for survival include rigorous fact-checking, reliance on anonymous sources when necessary (while acknowledging their limitations), and a steadfast commitment to journalistic ethics. Resisting the temptation to adopt the inflammatory rhetoric of disinformation channels is crucial to preserving the integrity of public discourse. Exposing corruption and holding power to account remain paramount, even as the space for independent journalism shrinks. The fight for media freedom in Central and Eastern Europe is not just a battle for the press; it’s a fight for the very foundations of democracy.
