Media Authority Uncovers Major Errors in Reports on Domestic Press Freedom

In relation with Mapping Media Freedom – Monitoring Report published in February, the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) reviewed reports issued since 2021 in a recent analysis, identifying methodological shortcomings, factual errors and subjective findings.

According to the authority, the European Center for Press and Media Freedom has issued a one-sided report criticizing the media landscape in Hungary, identifying a large number of incidents affecting press and media freedom in the country. In a statement, the NMHH said that the report, published annually by the Leipzig-based organization since 2021, monitors incidents of media and press freedom violations in EU Member States and candidate countries on a country-by-country basis.

The current document reports a steadily worsening trend across Europe, including Hungary. The report focuses mainly on physical attacks, harassment, psychological abuse, attacks on property, censorship and legal atrocities.

Examining the 2024 edition, the NMHH pointed out that the descriptions of incidents in the report typically rely on sources that present one-sided views on the Hungarian media landscape.

A small number of publications with opposing views are also cited, but these are often identified as the organs involved in the realization of the incidents. In addition, the lack of naming of authors reduces the transparency of the report. It is also notable that the comparability of the incidents identified in each country is greatly hampered by the fact that the document does not present the number of incidents per capita in terms of population, the authority wrote.

The NMHH stressed:

The Media Council was already portrayed in the 2021 report as a politically influenced body, even though its independence is guaranteed by the media law.

The 2023 report also described the situation of media pluralism as “critical,” while the most read newspapers and most watched media include platforms and channels with different points of view.

They noted that some of the claims made about Hungary in the European Center for Press and Media Freedom reports bear a strong resemblance to the one-sided statements made by various media freedom reports. The reports of 2021 and 2022, for instance, recall criticisms of the procedures concerning Klubrádió and Tilos Rádió, that were thoroughly refuted in previous analyses published by the NMHH. In addition, the reports often make subjective, unsupported statements, they said.

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