Mission Statement
 The international partnership mission to Hungary from November 14
th
to 16
th
2011, having met with lawyers, journalists, editors, professional associations,representatives of civil society, the new media authorities, and thegovernment representative and discussed the situation regarding theenactment and implementation of the new media law finds:
•
 The confluence of a regulatory environment, deteriorating economicconditions, technological change and convergence in media, and a lackof unity and solidarity within the professional community has created aperfect storm that threatens the future of independent journalism inHungary;
•
 The continuing controversy over the Hungarian media has opened upan important debate about the role of journalism and media indemocratic life in Europe;
•
Hungary’s model of regulation is broad, uncertain and inconsistent withEuropean standards of media freedom, it is creating a chilling effectand its export to other countries will undermine free expression;
•
 The media regulation, particularly with regard to protection of sources,is incompatible with European and international law;
•
Fresh concerns arise over the limited possibilities for judicial review of the decisions of the media authority and the media council;
•
Co-regulation is no substitute for self-regulation and in Hungary it iseffectively outsourcing censorship with the co-operation of nationaland international media owners alike;
•
 The licensing regime in Hungary potentially undermines the promotionof diversity and pluralism which is an obligation under European and
 
international treaties;
•
Questions remain over the capacity of the reorganized system of publicservice media to provide pluralist, diverse and quality information as apublic good;
•
 The concerns expressed by the Council of Europe, the EuropeanParliament, the OSCE, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and international press freedom groups regarding themedia law remain valid and should be the subject of further review anddialogue with the authorities. The International Partnership Mission of freedom of expression and mediadevelopment groups consisted of:Article 19, Freedom House, Index on Censorship, Independent JournalismCentre Moldova, International Press Institute, International Media Support,European Federation of Journalists, Media Diversity Institute, Open SocietyMedia Programme, the Network for Reporting on Eastern Europe, South EastEurope Media Organisation and South East European Network forProfessionalisation of Media.
Budapest November 16
th
2011
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