The Crisis of Truth in Hungarian News Media

This presentation will examine the judicial and legal framework that, starting in 2010, has reshaped Hungary’s news media in dramatic ways and has resulted in an unprecedented polarization in civil society. Dr. Lilla Tőke will in particularly focus on the number of nonprofessional websites that disseminate nationalist, right-wing ideological propaganda. To demonstrate how “the crisis of truth” came about in print and online journalism, she will analyze the controversy around Petra László, a Hungarian camerawoman who infamously tripped a refugee and his daughter as they tried to escape Hungarian border guards. Overall, the talk intends to problematize the general assumption that new media facilitates democratic dialogue, freedom of expression, and that it strengthens the circulation of information in civil society.

Lilla Tőke holds a PhD in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies from Stony Brook University. She is currently Assistant Professor of English at CUNY: LaGuardia Community College. Her research focuses on Hungarian literature and cinema and more specifically on the growing tensions between nationalism and globalization as it is reflected in contemporary media.