Politicians should not dictate who qualifies as a "real journalist".
"Thank you, I have received your response to my open letter to you in defense of freedom of speech , " Balázs Fürjes wrote in his second reply letter to the mayor of Ferencváros on Facebook.
As a result of our mutual openness, this week we will have several opportunities to continue our democratic debate on the important issue of freedom of speech in front of the press. We can debate this evening on ATV Egyenes beséséd, and Thursday morning on Fiala Janos Keljfeljancsi's broadcast. So now I'm only responding to one suggestion in your reply letter, the rest live. I must state that I cannot join you in the fact that politicians - whether left or right-wing politicians - dictate, prescribe, determine who qualifies as a "real journalist" and who can be treated as "press" at all (these are your expressions) of who can participate in the democratic discourse.
Just as voters have the right to choose from the political offer and they distribute the proportions, I believe that the judging of press products belongs to the readers, viewers and listeners. And I consider it the essence of pluralism that different people can have different (value) choices, different tastes. I am convinced that we, politicians entrusted with public duties, have no business judging or educating the citizens of Hungary or the media. As well as the fact that the only limitation of the operation of the press is Hungary's constitutional order.
This is also the heart and center of our debate: I do not like to live in a world where it would necessarily depend on the arbitrary classification of politicians of one side or another, who can be considered a regular, real journalist and who - to use your expression, which I do not approve of - is representative of so-called »dirty media«. (If possible, as a politician, I would not use this qualification, although it is of course part of freedom of speech.)"
The background
Krisztina Baranyi refused to answer the questions of the Pesti Srácok employee in one of ATV's morning live shows, Szigorlat.
The mayor of Ferencváros stated that "there is no discussion with old, paid propagandists".
The scandal broke out because of Baranyi's reaction
The media association responded to Krisztina Baranyi's statement as follows:
"It certainly hurts the left that there is no longer a press controlled by the MSZMP KB".
The Hungarian National Media Association repeatedly calls on left-wing politicians to ensure freedom of questioning, editing and expression of opinion"
- the organization wrote in its statement.
The CEO of ATV spoke
Németh S. Szilárd, CEO of ATV, gave an interview to Szemlélek regarding Reacting to the case, S. Szilárd Németh said:
"in the ATV studios, the interviewers ask fair questions to politicians who are not subjected to atrocities during the interviews. This television, under professional conditions, provides a lot of publicity every day to politicians who get little opportunity to do so elsewhere".
He emphasized: if so far anyone has indicated that they are not willing to be in the same studio with someone, ATV took this into account, this possibility was given in this case as well.
Due to the rigor, we do not know in advance who the examiner will be
The general director of ATV said that he was proud of his colleagues, and then he spoke about the fact that he personally did not have the opportunity to choose the examination board at the university in a rigor, the title of this program is also called Rigor, but he added that he accepts the proposal of the editors of the program that in the future let the guests know in advance who the interviewers will be.
No expertise
Németh S. Szilárd emphasized: "ATV is a privately owned television station that has decided not to be an expert on a single political side, and they still want to make different points of view clash, because the viewers are intelligent enough to decide for whom they believe who they consider authentic and who they don't." According to the CEO
"if we were to start selecting simply based on the lost press lawsuits, not many organs would be considered.
"And the political trenches will deepen if we become less and less able to peacefully discuss our issues with each other, which will result in an even worse-looking country. It is the responsibility of all of us.”
Featured image: MTI
