Journalists criticize Hungarian government communication at professional panel

During a professional panel organized by the Médiafórum Association in Budapest, journalists criticized the current state of government communication in Hungary. The event, which preceded the Quality Journalism Award ceremony, featured a discussion on the transparency of public spending and government operations.

Endre Bojtár B., editor-in-chief of Magyar Narancs, confronted Norbert Kustánczy, the State Secretary responsible for communications at the Prime Minister's Office, asking if there was a manual on how to marginalize journalists. Kustánczy responded that no such manual exists. The discussion highlighted concerns that government press conferences have shifted from addressing the press to speaking directly to a televised audience, described by observers as a form of political entertainment rather than traditional governance.

Participants noted that since the formation of the current administration, there has been a significant decrease in the release of public interest data, with over a thousand such data points being withheld by ministries.