Hungarian public media editor-in-chief dismissed after one day

A Hungarian journalist appointed as editor-in-chief of public media was dismissed after just one day, sparking controversy and questions about political influence.

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Although I only spent one day as editor-in-chief at public media, I still managed to propose, with the full support of the news director, that in this extraordinary situation, at least a five-minute daily news summary be prepared, as what else would be the main mission of the institution than to inform people.

The journalist, who has not been named in the provided text but is quoted extensively, stated that despite his brief tenure, he had proposed a five-minute daily news summary to inform the public, a core mission of the institution. He noted that the resources were available, but his proposal was not acted upon.

He recounted the events of his single day in the role, beginning with signing his employment contract on August 3rd at 9:00 AM. His day included meetings with the news director, visits to the newsroom and studio, an office move, an branding discussion, lunch with a former colleague, administrative tasks, and departing the building by 5:00 PM. By 7:42 PM, news of his appointment was released by MTI and picked up by news portals. Shortly after, he received a call at 9:24 PM informing him that he was "too much of a burden" for public media to bear.

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As if the geometry of space, the spirit of place, so the value of numbers, and the weight of words have meaning. The coordinate system of that particular 24 hours is as follows: August 3. 9:00 Signing of employment contract on Kunigunda Street in the TV headquarters. 9:30 Meeting with the news director. 10:00 Visit to the newsroom, mutual greetings with long-unseen and new colleagues. 10:30 Studio tour. 11:30 Moving into the office. 12:00 Branding meeting. 1:30 PM Lunch with an old colleague. 2:00 PM Handling administrative matters, phone calls. 5:00 PM Leaving the headquarters. 7:42 PM MTI publishes the news of the appointment, which is picked up by news portals. Following this, the Prime Minister adds a comment to the news appearing on Telex, which reads: I wouldn't think so... At 9:24 PM, I am called to be told: I have become a burden that public media cannot bear.

The following day, August 4th, he was called in at 2:00 PM to sign the termination of his employment contract. He expressed that while he has changed jobs multiple times, this dismissal was abrupt and lacked justification, especially since his professional background was known to management when the CEO signed his contract. He feels his three decades of work were disregarded, calling the treatment "petty."

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After I accepted the job offered by the public television management by giving up my previous job, they threw me out onto the street without explanation, using the legal option of the probationary period. Do I need to explain that it wasn't because I did something wrong that one day? Discarding my three decades of work based on credibility, they shook me off like a dog shakes off water. To put it mildly, it's petty.

He questioned the fairness of public figures being "persecuted" and stigmatized based on their past, asking if other journalists who worked at Hír TV, like Veiszer Alinda and Kálmán Olga, should also be labeled as "propagandists" with no place in public life. He also raised concerns about whether individuals who have worked for Fidesz-affiliated companies or the government in the past 16 years should be "eliminated" due to public demand.

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I believe the task of a journalist is to uncover the truth through questions. Of course, absolute truth rarely exists in life; interpretation offers us the opportunity to get closer to it. My questions regarding the matter are as follows: Is it acceptable for anyone to be persecuted without facts, based on various stigmas?