[cartan]

The linked article says nothing about government henchmen overseeing the media. What is your source?

The article is quoting the German deputy foreign minister Werner Hoyer, who specifically criticized the new media law. Just google for “Hungary new media law” and you will find as many sources as you want.

[dangus]

I’m not pleased with it, but on the other hand, it’s a little odd to hear state-controlled media criticizing Hungary’s plan to monitor the media for terrorist threats. There is no free media in Europe. Try criticizing female circumcision in Germany, and just see how fast it takes the jack boots to come to your door.

[dangus]

Actually, I’m not sure I’m even displeased with the law. It sounds like the gripes are coming from the socialist, state-dependent news media who are upset that the Hungarian version of NPR might be slightly more beholden to the democratic government than to socialist elite.

[Cronos]

The press freedom is a hoax. What the Hungarian govt wanted (and I have it straight from local Hungarians) is to stop the press from consistently putting fear into people, from sensationalising news). The law says that a regulatory panel appointed by Parliament is empowered to monitor newspapers, television broadcasts and other media and to impose fines on journalists and news outlets for "unbalanced" or "offensive" reporting. -- how many times have we seen media "talk up" a riot or something? I've seen cases where media show a guy tossing a brick into a car window in a continuous loop and talk about riots when there were none. And that's just a case in point.