Hungary: no more printed daily newspapers
As of this Monday there are no more printed daily newspapers dealing with political topics in Hungary. Magyar Nemzet, a newspaper with close ties to the former Fidesz government, will be published only as a weekly from now on, and the left-wing daily Népszava is also discontinuing its daily print edition. Népszava had been criticised for running state advertising under the Orbán regime in recent years, but after the change of government this came to an end.
Press in crisis
The newspaper is facing more than one problem, journalist István Földesi explains in Népszava:
“In recent years, subscriber numbers have dropped at an alarming rate. The general decline of the Gutenberg Galaxy [print media], the loss of advertising revenues to online platforms that produce no content of their own, and the deliberate withdrawal of government advertising have left the newspaper in an economic quandary. Finally, Mediaworks – one of the deadly remnants of the mafia regime that had survived [election day] 12 April and which still dominates the printing and distribution market as a suffocating monopoly – has terminated its contract with Népszava with immediate effect, citing substantial debts.”
Making use of available media space
Népszava’s credibility was not undermined by government advertising during the Orbán era, writer Sándor Révész argues in hvg:
“I can't recall a single important case that Népszava failed to cover. ... In such a situation, one can only choose between nothing and something. Either you fill the space available or let it go to waste. When the media space available to those in power is so vast and that of the opposition so limited, then giving up the space that is available is not just foolish – it's a crime. ... Our colleagues at Népszava were not allowed to commit this crime. Those who would have expected them to do so are not friends of the independent media, but its enemies.”
Part of the Orbán system
But according to journalist László Szily, Népszava cannot be considered an independent newspaper:
“Népszava had been part of the government's media system since at least 2016, though not through direct ownership. ... The paper was kept on a tight leash and was funded by the government through state advertising. The reason for this was that they were using this ostensibly independent newspaper to try to influence opposition readers who were not sufficiently informed. ... This is also why they're letting it go now that they no longer need it.”