Keyword – populism

Bódi, Jenő – Polyák, Gábor – Urbán, Ágnes:

The changing concept of fake news in public service news

In Hungary in 2020, after the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, government communication began to accuse critical media of spreading fake news. This typical tool of populist politics has taken on a new colour in Hungary: fake news accusations have also been used against opposition politicians. This analysis looks into content on fake news published over the past decade on Hirado.hu, the news site of the Hungarian public service media. It does not study fake news items that may be published there, but looks into what the concept 26 Bódi Jenő–Polyák Gábor–Urbán Ágnes means in the public discourse on the basis of the articles on Hirado.hu, and how the meaning of the term has evolved over time; for example, whether populist fake news accusations targeting the media and the domestic opposition appeared before 2020.

Keywords: content analysis, fake news, MTVA, news media, populism, public service media

Paár, Ádám:

The Agrarian movement, the journal Köztelek and the USA (1892–1908)

In the late 1800s, when the USA became the leading economic and military power, a new Hungarian political group described as ‘agrarian’ began to look into American life, politics and economics. The Agrarians criticised the Hungarian governments for their exaggerated support granted to the industries and for ignoring the interests of the peasant population. The Agrarians refused to establish a political party of their own, and represented and popularised their values and ideas via their press. Their representative journal, Köztelek, took account of the foreign news in the areas of economic, social and agrarian science. This journal was specalised in the education of smallholders and reported on economic and political news from abroad. By examining the way Köztelek reflected on American life, one can establish that the Agrarian authors focused on three topics, including the American economy (agriculture, trade and transport), the way of life of farmers, and political tensions. Köztelek did not mention the Populist movement, the agrarian democratic movement in the USA, but it criticised the McKinley government which came to power in 1896.

Keywords: agrarian conservative, agriculture, democracy, farmer, Hungary, Köztelek, populism, press, United States

Benedek, István:

The Rise of a Hybrid Media System

This paper studies the rise and functioning of Hungary’s anti-pluralist hybrid media system under the Orbán Regime, placing it in the broader context of the country’s transformation into a populist electoral autocracy (PEA). It analyses how institutional changes and media manipulation strategies such as partisan media regulation, biased state advertising, and third-party campaigns have enabled the government to extend its control over the public discourse. By the late 2010s, the regime had achieved overwhelming media dominance, which fostered self-censorship, anticipatory obedience, media capture, asymmetric parallelism, and the erosion of media independence, all under the guise of formal media freedom. This paper also explores the implications of these developments for media polarisation and autocratic resilience, emphasising how government-controlled discourse and partisan audiences undermine informed decision-making and accountability, thereby securing electoral success and sustaining public support for the regime. Finally, it highlights potential challenges to the system’s resilience in the mid-2020s amid emerging international and domestic pressures, which could significantly impact the future of Hungary’s media landscape.

Keywords: autocratic stabilisation, Hungary, hybridisation, media system, Orbán regime, populism