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Journalists at the country's leading newspaper have shown disbelief after a media conglomerate considered aligned with PM Viktor Orbán's party, Fidesz, bought the popular daily from its former Swiss owners.

Context of Purchase

The buyout, which coincides with Hungary prepares for crucial elections next year, is widely seen as another move to expand government influence on the news outlets.

A government-aligned media company, Indamedia, declared on Friday it had acquired a collection of Hungarian titles, including Glamour magazine and Blikk, a popular daily newspaper whose news site reaches about three million web users monthly.

Leadership Shake-up

Blikk's former editor-in-chief, Ivan Zolt Nagy, said on Monday that he and another key leader were departing in "shared decision" with the new owner.

They were appointed seven months ago to reposition Blikk, "moving away from sensational stories but on compelling journalism" and to be "more public-oriented, addressing political affairs, economic matters, and cultural topics," he commented on social media.

Employee Reactions

Staff at Blikk said they were shocked. "I came close to a medical emergency when I was informed of the news," said one journalist, who wished to be anonymous. "Personally, this is professionally concerning."

Blikk has announced a new editor-in-chief, Baláz Kolossváry.

Press Environment Concerns

Several media professionals who have decided to stay acknowledge feeling in a challenging situation as there are limited other media organizations remaining where they could apply.

During the last 15 years, Orbán has been able to use a sprawling pro-government media landscape to boost his image and polls.

Election Timing

While major media deals have tended to take place either post-election or during a calm political phase, the buyout of Ringier Hungary comes less than six months before April's parliamentary election.

Blikk was viewed as a prime target for Orbán and his political organization at a moment when surveys are signalling that they have a serious opponent for the initial occasion in exceeding a decade.

Political Rival Reaction

The opposition leader, Péter Magyar, whose Respect and Freedom party is promoting commitments to root out systemic graft, has been outspoken about Orbán's "media machine" and the negative impact he says it has done to Hungary's democracy.

He has condemned the Ringier Hungary deal, stating it constitutes another attempt by Orbán to strengthen his grip over Hungary's news publications.

Newspaper's Significance

Although Blikk is a daily publication, famous for its gossip column and sensational captions, in the last several years it has also run multiple stories on suspected graft.

"Blikk is by far the most widely circulated newspaper in Hungary, a market leader," said a media analyst. "Its online site has become surprisingly popular in recent times, becoming the fourth most visited online site in Hungary. If biased information features in such extensively consumed and mainstream outlets, it will have an impact on the citizenry."

International Perspective

For more than a decade now, Hungary has acted as a model for other "semi-democratic systems" globally.

Former American officials and their associates have long praised Orbán's Hungary even as it plunges in media freedom indexes.

In 2022, Orbán told a gathering of US right-leaning politicians that the way to governance necessitated "controlling media outlets."

Past Media Regulation

In 2010, Orbán's government passed a law that imposed official oversight over the main media regulator and put the national media outlet in the management of supporters.

Proprietorship Information

Indamedia is half-owned by Mikló Vaszily, a government-supporting entrepreneur who is also top executive of a pro-government private channel.

In a declaration, Indamedia's additional partner and CEO, Gábor Ziegler, said: "Through the acquisition of Ringier Hungary, the organization is obtaining a profitable press organization of comparable scale to Indamedia, with established industry presence and successful brands that serve a crucial function in the Hungarian press environment."

Ringier said in a release that its choice to divest was "motivated entirely by business strategy factors and our focus on our core digital activities in Hungary."

A official representative was contacted for response.