Péter Erdélyi, a journalist over at 444.hu, posted an article about foreign media coverage over the weekend entitled, “De Miért Kell Hülyeségeket Írni Magyarországról?” – or, roughly “But Why Write Such Stupidities about Hungary?” He opens the piece saying that when there are so many things to criticize the government for, it’s unbelievable that the foreign press comes up with such nonsense. And then he writes:

“I feel just like Ferenc Kumin.”

Ha! You see? It’s not just me who finds the international coverage sometimes ridiculous.

And this is coming from 444.hu, a far cry from a pro-government source (like those state-run media that, according to Freedom House, are supposedly crowding out the more independent content on the web). 444.hu is a news site known for its gonzo style of irreverent journalism and sometimes blunt criticism of the government. On more than one occasion, they’ve set their sites on me, poking fun at this blog. I couldn’t help but be amused when, a few months ago, they coined the term Kuminizmus.

So what has got Erdélyi so worked up that he feels like Ferenc Kumin? Recent pieces in two German publications, this one from Focus Online and this one from the Berliner Zeitung. It’s the usual problems. Both articles are poorly informed, one-sided and rely on gossip presented as facts. They also incorrectly mix the government with the extremist opposition party, Jobbik, despite the government’s clear condemnation of the extreme right.

Erdélyi cites some of the more outrageous quotes from Focus and the Berliner Zeitung. The Focus Online article claims that “The ruling Fidesz party denounced Jews, Roma and homosexuals as foreign-hearted.” An accusation like this should be backed by at least one quote, but of course it would be difficult to do so because the party has never said such things, writes Erdélyi. He describes how the Berliner Zeitung makes a complete muddle of some recent polling figures and is confused about the outcome of the recent regional elections in Baja.

I could go on, but you get the point. Some of this foreign reporting is so ridiculous that it provokes a response from sources otherwise quite critical of the current government.

“Even the most prestigious international newspapers make the mistake of turning to the same sources they turned to 20 years ago when it comes to Hungary,” wrote Bence Inkei in a commentary piece that appeared last year on Origo, a centrist, sometimes opposition-leaning Internet news site. In his piece, Inkei makes the point that these Hungarian sources have been peddling the same “unnecessary, but without doubt appealing” narratives for 20 years and “this hysterical atmosphere does not help at all.”

While the trend seems to be improving, as I wrote back in February, we occasionally still find some particularly bad examples. And when someone at 444.hu finds himself feeling like Ferenc Kumin, you know it’s serious indeed.

By Ferenc Kumin

Source: A Blog About Hungary

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