The press freedom memorandum was based on assumption rather than facts, says official

Representatives of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office, the justice ministry, and media authority NMHH said in reaction to the memorandum that the document was “biased” and “based on assumption rather than facts” and that it “reopens issues settled years ago”. The document is mostly based on the opinion of “a handful but well-known civil groups critical of the government” and articles by internet portals, which “raises doubts about the objectivity of the memorandum”, they said.

Dunja Mijatovic, human rights commissioner of the Council of Europe, said in a memorandum on Tuesday that it was “high time for Hungary to restore journalistic and media freedoms”.

“The combined effects of a politically controlled media regulatory authority and distortionary state intervention in the media market have eroded media pluralism and freedom of expression,” according to the memorandum. Details HERE: Council of Europe: Hungarian press freedom is being compromised

They insisted that Hungary’s media law ensured that the Media Council’s members are not associated with political parties and that the body’s operations are independent of any attempts of political influencing.