Hungary: Blikk taken over by pro-government group
The pro-Orbán media group Indamedia has purchased the country's leading newspaper, Blikk. The tabloid was owned by the Swiss Ringier Group for more than three decades but the latter is now selling off its entire Hungarian media portfolio. Indamedia also owns Hungary's largest news website Index. What does this mean for press freedom in the country?
Targeting apolitical readers
According to Hvg, the government's intentions are clear:
“With five and a half months to go before the 2026 elections, which promise to be a neck-and-neck race, the government is doing everything it can to distort the situation in its favour. This means it must also gain influence over Blikk's less conscientious media consumers. These consumers don't use online political media to inform themselves and rarely consume political content. But once they have purchased the paper they will generally read the second page, which is devoted to public affairs. And they will most likely believe what they read there. ... A democratic country needs independent tabloid newspapers that respect their readers, as well as honest, self-assertive tabloid journalists. Those in power know this. That is why they are crushing Blikk.”
Back to classic tabloid style
The pro-government daily Magyar Nemzet disputes the allegations that this was a pro-Orbán takeover:
“What is actually happening is that Blikk, which was pushed to the left of the political spectrum by the former executives of [the independent weekly newspaper] hvg, will now revert to its old traditions ... The tabloid is expected to return to its decades-long tried and tested approach of keeping its distance from political parties and focusing on sensationalist, attention-grabbing news and stories once more.”
No country for good journalism
The reality of the Hungarian media landscape forces journalists to work in a partisan manner, Magyar Narancs criticises:
“Yet another spineless publishing house which it turns out can be bought. ... The problem is that without anyone really noticing another little bit of what we call journalism, in the absence of a better term, has been taken away. Which unfortunately means that what remains will inevitably become even worse. For there is no longer any competition - and there hasn't been for some time now - because editorial offices are increasingly forced to operate as partisan groups. We are not focused on writing good material but on the question of whether the regime will come after us next... It is not the work that consumes our energy, but this torment.”