Incident
Hungary's parliament gives a government-appointed media council power to fine outlets for unbalanced coverage
Hungary's parliament, controlled by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party, passed a media law creating a government-appointed National Media and Infocommunications Authority empowered to fine any outlet, print, broadcast or online, for coverage it deemed unbalanced or offensive to public morality.1234
What happened
In December 2010, Hungary's parliament, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party held a two-thirds majority, passed a media law creating the National Media and Infocommunications Authority, a regulator whose board is appointed by the parliamentary majority for nine-year terms. The law let the authority impose fines, reported at up to roughly half a million dollars per violation, on any news outlet it judged had produced "unbalanced" coverage or violated vaguely defined standards of "public morality," and required outlets to register with the state. The law took effect January 1, 2011. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe called the media council's power "unprecedented in European democracies," and former European Union Commissioner Laszlo Kovacs said, "The law provides total control to the government over all the media, both public and private." Orban said the government was "monitoring its practical application" and would address concerns if verified; a Media Council legal official acknowledged the country's earlier "unfettered press freedom" had also produced problems.1234
What reason was given
Stated justificationPrime Minister Orban said the government was "monitoring its practical application and if any of the political concerns are verified ... we are ready to remedy them," while a Media Council legal official said Hungary's earlier "unfettered press freedom" had "yielded some negative fruit as well."23
What changed for reporting
Every news outlet, print, broadcast or online, became subject to fines of up to roughly half a million dollars for coverage a government-appointed board deemed unbalanced; the OSCE called the board's power "unprecedented in European democracies."4
Timeline
2010
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Viktor Orban | ordered | Prime Minister of Hungary (through 2026) |
Sources
Claims and evidence
Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.
- The law allowed large fines against outlets whose coverage the board deemed unbalanced or immoral.
impose big fines on all news outlets if the board deems reporting unbalanced or as violating a host of vaguely defined terms such as public morality.
Hungary Measures Draw Fears Of Autocratic Rule archived copy, NPR, 2011-01-11.Claim 272, checked 2026-09-22. - A Media Council legal official said Hungary's earlier unrestricted press freedom had also produced negative results.
This 'unfettered press freedom,' it yielded some negative fruit as well
Hungary Measures Draw Fears Of Autocratic Rule archived copy, NPR, 2011-01-11.Claim 273, checked 2026-09-22. - Orban said the government would monitor the law's application and address verified political concerns.
We are monitoring its practical application and if any of the political concerns are verified ... we are ready to remedy them.
Hungary Measures Draw Fears Of Autocratic Rule archived copy, NPR, 2011-01-11.Claim 274, checked 2026-09-22. - A former EU commissioner said the law gave government total control over public and private media.
The law provides total control to the government over all the media, both public and private.
Hungary Measures Draw Fears Of Autocratic Rule archived copy, NPR, 2011-01-11.Claim 275, checked 2026-09-22.