Hungary's State Broadcaster Fires Two Journalists Over Protest

Image via WikipediaHungry Hungarian journalists Aranka Szavuly and Balazs Nagy Navarro, engaged in a hunger strike since December 10 in protest against Prime Minister Viktor Orban of the conservative Fidesz party, have been terminated, according to a story in The Irish Times.

The State-owned public broadcaster said the journalists were canned for taking on a political role in conducting an "illegal" strike. Prime Minister Orban, who has drawn fire from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and European Commission Head Jose Manual Barroso, among others, for reforms that purportedly infringe on democratic freedoms, was targeted by the two journalists for allegedly meddling in media operations, the Times reported.

Hungary Media Council Hungry to Fine Newspaper

Image via WikipediaAccording to a blog post by Politics.HU ("The Intelligent Source for Intelligence on Hungarian Politics"), the country's Media Council is expected to fine liberal newspaper Nepszabadsag for its refusal to retract a story about Council President Annamaria Szalai.

The newspaper declined to publish a requested correction to its story claiming Szalai stands to become the overseer of thousands of public media workers.  Under a media law enacted in January 2010, the newspaper could face a fine up to 25 million Forints (HUF) ($120,000) and its top executive could be socked with a 2 million Forints ($9,600) penalty.