RFE/RL's Hungarian Service: Szabad Európa

Website: 8 million visits; 11.5 million page views
Facebook: 47.8 million video views; 9.8 million engaged users
YouTube: 18.7 million views; 276,000 subscribers
Instagram: 43,000 video views; 2,400 followers

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Szabad Európa, a 21st-century update of RFE/RL’s storied Hungarian Service, provides objective reporting via digital platforms in an EU country that has witnessed a deteriorating of the media environment and a pro-government biased centralization of the market.

About

Closed in 1993 and relaunched September 2020 because of deteriorating and polarized media climate.
The Service operates digitally via its website, social media platforms, podcasts, and newsletter.
Works to counter increasing Russian and Chinese influence in the country, publishing investigations about surveillance technology.
Covered 2022 parliamentary election; interviewed opposition leader Péter Márki-Zay, breaking news about his fears of government interference.
Published story that state media conglomerate MTVA twisted reporting; Hungarian courts ruled documents about state media editorial content must be turned over to Service.
Broke news Hungary vetoed EU statement criticizing Turkey for human rights advocate Osman Kavala’s life sentence.

Awards

Podcast 'Szelfi' (Selfie) won a Chance Lab Association award (2021 & 2022) for supporting equality.
2022 Transparency International award runner-up for story about wasteful spending of EU funds.