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Hungary's younger journalists learn to smoke to get sources after Orbán's fall
🇸🇪 Sweden /Culture & Society

Hungary's younger journalists learn to smoke to get sources after Orbán's fall

From Dagens Nyheter · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Following Viktor Orbán's loss of power in Hungary, journalists are experiencing a renewed ability to work with high-level sources, including in parliamentary smoking areas.
  • András Király, foreign editor at the independent news site Telex, notes the significant difference in accessing information compared to the Orbán era, where younger colleagues are learning traditional reporting methods.
  • Telex, founded in 2020 after the previous independent site Index was acquired by an Orbán-connected businessman, has become a popular independent news source despite government accusations of being a foreign agent.

In Hungary, a shift in political power has dramatically altered the landscape for journalists, enabling them to pursue independent reporting and access high-level sources once again. András Király, foreign editor at the independent news site Telex, described the feeling of reconnecting with political contacts who had been unresponsive for 15 years as "unbelievable."

"It's possible to get information again, to work with sources. It's a huge difference compared to how it was under Orbán," Király stated. He noted that younger journalists, who grew up during Viktor Orbán's 16-year tenure, are now being taught traditional reporting techniques, such as cultivating sources by frequenting places like the parliament's smoking areas. "The best opportunity to catch ministers and elected officials is during a smoke break," Király said with a smile.

It's possible to get information again, to work with sources. It's a huge difference compared to how it was under Orbán.

— András KirályTelex foreign editor András Király describes the change in journalistic access after Viktor Orbán's government lost power.

Orbán's government, which ended in early April, had systematically dismantled independent institutions and transformed many media outlets into government mouthpieces. This had led to Hungary's isolation within the EU and the loss of billions in funding due to repeated violations of EU statutes. Telex managed to remain independent, a feat achieved by nearly its entire editorial staff who left the previous independent site Index in 2020 after it was purchased by a businessman linked to Orbán.

Telex has since become one of Hungary's most popular news sites, attracting 700,000 readers, with numbers surging to 1.4 million during the recent election. The site operates without a paywall, relying on advertising revenue and voluntary contributions, including significant donations. Orbán's administration labeled Telex a "foreign agent" due to these donations, yet readership continued to grow. Király highlighted the difficulty of reporting under the previous government, citing a lack of information on government programs for science and research.

The best opportunity to catch ministers and elected officials is during a smoke break.

— András KirályTelex foreign editor András Király on how younger journalists are learning to cultivate sources in post-Orbán Hungary.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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