Hungarian Opposition Rally Decries State-Controlled Media

Thousands joined a rally held outside the headquarters of Hungary's state-controlled MTVA media company on October 5. The protest in Budapest was organized by the opposition Tisza party, which described MTVA as "the government's propaganda factory." Party leader Peter Magyar addressed the crowd through a makeshift television screen, with a stylized news crawler saying: "Lie." Hungary's state radio and television stations strongly reflect the government's talking points. Reporting about the opposition is scarce or negative. In 2020, an RFE/RL investigation documented how state television journalists had been instructed to produce one-sided reporting on migration, LGBT issues, and other topics.