András Hont has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of Index, taking over executive responsibilities following the resignation of Ákos Starcz, according to an official statement released by the media outlet’s parent company, Indamedia. The leadership shuffle at one of Hungary’s most prominent news portals also coincides with structural shifts at the top, while Norbert Gedei remains in place as editor-in-chief after stepping into that role in May.
The transition follows a series of ownership and management changes within the organization. In September, the group running Index.hu announced the departure of Gábor Ziegler, who had served as a co-owner in the corporate structure. Consequently, Miklós Vaszily—who previously shared ownership equally with Ziegler—became the sole owner and CEO of Indamedia. Alongside Hont’s appointment as CEO, László Mező has been named as the company’s new deputy chief executive officer.
The executive shakeup also brought immediate departures from the newsroom. András Murányi, who served as the final editor-in-chief of Népszabadság and joined Index following the April 12 election, announced that he is leaving the publication simultaneously with the new leadership announcements. “At my own request, I am leaving my position as responsible editor of Index as of today. The current CEO accepted the above request by mutual agreement,” Murányi wrote.
Hont Becomes Editor-In-Chief of Index
Speculation regarding Hont’s involvement with the news outlet had surfaced prior to the official announcement. Earlier in September, Hungarian public figure Péter Magyar publicly referred to Hont—known for his work behind the ÖT YouTube channel and portal—as the incoming editor-in-chief of Index during a press conference. At that time, the publisher’s owner disputed those specific claims, telling the 24.hu portal in a statement that no changes to the newsroom leadership were on the agenda for Indamedia.
Hont brings a long career in Hungarian journalism to the executive suite. He previously wrote and edited for Hírszerző starting in 2008, and later spent a decade working at HVG between 2011 and 2021, where he headed the opinion section. From April 1, 2021, until December 2024, he worked as a contributor for Átlátszó. Earlier in his career, Hont was a member of Fidesz from 1990 until 2007, serving as an Erzsébetváros local representative in 1994 and managing political campaigns for figures such as Tamás Deutsch and Zoltán Rockenbauer before leaving the party following disagreements with Viktor Orbán’s leadership methods.
The newly appointed CEO remains active in independent media projects, owning and contributing to Öt Média, which launched in January 2025 alongside participants from the current affairs talk show broadcast on ATV. Indamedia’s statement noted that cooperation between the ÖT platform and Index will continue moving forward.
Hont Denies State Funding for Media Ventures
The appointment arrives months after financial transparency questions arose regarding Hont’s media ventures. In May, HVG reported that forints flowed last year into Öt-kontent Nonprofit Kft., a company wholly owned by Hont, from unspecified sources.
When questioned about the figures, Hont maintained that while the sum appeared round, the revenue originated from multiple sources. “People gave money to the project, but Hungarian entrepreneurs do not necessarily want to be mentioned together with me,” Hont stated at the time, emphasizing that the project received zero state funding.
The management changes at Index unfold against the backdrop of significant market consolidation by its parent company. Indamedia acquired Ringier Hungary Kft.—the publisher of the tabloid Blikk, alongside magazines such as Kiskegyed and Glamour—last autumn. That business transaction remains under review by the Gazdasági Versenyhivatal, Hungary’s competition authority. Concurrently, Kiskegyed editor-in-chief Klára Bokor is departing the publishing company.
Historical Context of the Newsroom
Index has operated under entirely different ownership structures since the summer of 2020, when its entire editorial staff resigned en masse following the dismissal of then-editor-in-chief Szabolcs Dull over concerns regarding the outlet’s editorial independence. The departing journalists subsequently formed the independent news site Telex, while Index remained under its current publishing ownership.
The organizational changes at Indamedia will continue to be monitored as the newly restructured leadership team takes control of the publishing house’s daily operations.
