Chef Árpádclose to Fidesz, which also owns the county papers, HírTV, Origó, Magyar Nemzet and several other media Mediaworks / KESMA a few years ago, its outgoing central editor-in-chief gave an interview to the podcast called Ultrahang. Szakács mentioned extremely serious things in the program.
Consultations with the Rogáns
For example, he confirmed that Antal Rogan and his team regularly gave instructions and held meetings so that the media workers operated in accordance with the government’s central guidelines.
Antal Rogán in Parliament on April 12, 2023. Photo: YouTube
Information that cannot be obtained legally, faked and hacked texts
Szákács also said that he had to provide certain media outlets with defamatory materials that he believed could not have been obtained legally. He added that certain information could have come from private investigative companies, but he considers it possible that it could also have come from data collected with the help of the Pegasus spy software, or even through the secret services to the government and the media products connected to them. With these defamatory materials, people were then practically attacked, defamed, and blackmailed.
The former central editor-in-chief also mentioned that opinion articles also had to be discussed with high-level managers. For him, for example, with Péter Csermely. (Péter Csermely is currently Mediaworks’ deputy general manager for content development and a member of the company’s board.)
According to him, the Rogáns can influence Index and sometimes Telex and 444
Árpád Szákács also said that it is About Index it is now obvious that he is manipulating more and more according to Antal Rogán’s witch’s kitchen. He emphasized: this can also be observed in what kind of news he does not report on, or what he focuses on and how. At the same time, according to him, NER uses it as a kind of steam release valve, where, for example, it was possible to read about the possible departure of Katalin Novák before others. During the conversation, the former head of Mediaworks also criticized newspapers such as Telex or 444, as he believes that Antal Rogán’s team can influence the operation of these mediums with various techniques or even with money. (In the matter, Media1 is looking for the named newspapers so that we can get to know their position on what was said) UPDATE 26.02.2024, 11:12: Telex’s answer is available at the end of our news, we are still waiting for the answer from the publisher of 444.)
The former central editor-in-chief of Mediaworks said that after a while his faith in what was going on at the media holding of the government party was very shaken, which is why he checked out of NER. He added that he was told that he must be tired and should go on a long vacation.
Chef criticized the National Digital Citizenship program, as he believes it leads in the direction of Chinese dictatorships. He emphasized that the draft was not submitted by Antal Rogán by chance.
The full conversation can be viewed by clicking here.
Árpád Szakács, former central editor-in-chief of Mediaworks in Ultrasound
One of Szakács’ websites received HUF 50 million in public funds
Árpád Szakács was one of the managers of Mediaworks from 2016, and then left there in 2020. A few years ago, he appeared as a speaker at the Mi Hazánk Movement’s anti-vaccination demonstration.
About everything else worth knowing about Árpád Szakács, you can access Media1’s previous articles here, of which the fact that a few years ago, one of Szakács’s limited liability companies received HUF 50 million in public funds for a website deserves a special mention.
By the way, the current conversation was prepared by Tamás Király in Ultrahang, who previously worked for one of the NER’s county newspapers for years.
Update 02.26.2024. 11:07 a.m
Telex answered
Telex replied to our Sunday email on Monday that Szakács drew the wrong conclusion regarding the financing of Telex based on the Doktor24 logo on Telex’s page, because the company mentioned by Szakács (marked with the name of János Kóka) provides the mandatory occupational medical examination of Telex employees within the framework of the contract. but they have no influence on the content of the paper, just like the company that provides the editorial coffee or the car.
We are still waiting for 444’s response regarding Szakács’ claims.
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Cover: Árpád Szakacs at the Mi Hazánk Mozgalom demonstration. Photo: YouTube / Daily Topic