Transforming the Political Public Sphere: The Media System of the Orbán regime in Hungary

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the anti-pluralist transformation of Hungary's political public sphere under the Orbán regime, embedding the developments within the broader historical and cultural context of the country. Firstly, the logic behind the transformation and the strategies of Orbán regime's media manipulations are scrutinized, revealing how economic and political interests intertwined, including institutional changes, third-party campaigns, the decreasing transparency of public interest information, and the allocation of state advertising with political bias. Secondly, the study examines the Orbán regime's growing influence over the media landscape, which resulted in massive media dominance by the late 2010s. This led to distorted public discourse with an increasing level of self-censorship and anticipatory obedience to the government's narratives and diminished media independence while maintaining the illusion of media freedom. Finally, the study also focuses on the ensuing implications of these changes for media polarization and the Orbán regime's autocratic resilience. Ultimately, the government-dominated public discourse, coupled with a highly partisan audience susceptible to elite manipulation, undermines citizens' ability to make informed decisions and hold the government accountable, as well as plays a crucial role in securing electoral victories and maintaining substantial social support.