this post was submitted on 18 Apr 2025
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Meta post: Euronews and Viktor Orbán (en.m.wikipedia.org)
submitted 6 days ago by sith@lemmy.zip to c/europe@feddit.org
15 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I see plenty of links to Euronews in this community. Just want to remind you all that Euronews is linked to the Hungarian government and Viktor Orbán. Consider that before you post something.

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[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 11 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Thanks OP. The more you know, the longer the list of untrustworthy "news" sites gets.

But please be more precise. What you wrote:

Euronews is linked to the Hungarian government and Viktor Orbán.

What wikipedia says:

Euronews is currently majority-owned by Alpac Capital, a company indirectly linked to the Hungarian government of Viktor Orbán.

[–] sith@lemmy.zip 2 points 6 days ago

Alpac Capital's CEO Pedro Vargas David, is well established in the government of Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán and is the son of Mario David, one of Orbán's advisers. In April 2016, Orban called Mario David a "true friend" and gave him the middle cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit. Due to Orbán's repeated media violations, where he influences media regulators to punish any and all journalists who negatively reports on his or his government's actions, Alpac Capital's purchase of Euronews from Naguib Sawiris was put under increased scrutiny as an attempt by Orbán to influence wider European politics.

On April 18, 2024, the International Federation of Journalists called for a European parliamentary inquiry into the Hungarian government's influence over Euronews via Alpac Capital due to Euronews attempting to influence the 2024 European Parliament election.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpac_Capital

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

I remember looking for news about their treatment of refugees at the border and was surprised how open they were about the human rights violations. Not to say you can trust them, but i just expected more censorship. Maybe this is just seen as a plus for Orban...

[–] huppakee@lemm.ee 5 points 6 days ago

I also didn't notice any serious bias or censoring, so I read the articles in other comments. In it they deny any outside influence.

Euronews said in a statement that it “does not know the details of the controlling shareholdings in the company” but it “contests and denies any idea or suggestion regarding editorial interference in its news mission”.

It said its Budapest bureau has continued to work in full independence over the past two years.

I believe that, but reading this news makes me sceptical to be honest. Especially since their CEO seems to have been fired https://www.politico.eu/article/guillaume-dubois-euronews-media-company-ceo-fired/

Even before the Euronews investment, there were attempts by government circles to expand into foreign media markets. As Direkt36 and other newspapers have previously reported, pro-government actors have invested significant sums in the media markets of Balkan countries, with the apparent aim of helping local allies of the Orbán government there.

In addition to the Euronews investment, David and his business partner bought a Portuguese weekly newspaper, “Nascer do Sol”, and a daily newspaper, “I”. According to Expresso’s research, these two newspapers are owned by the same Dubai-registered company, Alpac Capital, as Euronews.

So what I seem to get from this all is a fascist is trying to get media outlets on his side. This is not something new, but them paying the bill doesn't have to mean they get any influence. Maybe that goal hasn't been achieved yet.

I'll try and keep my eyes open. But probably will continue reading Euronews for now.

[–] HK65@sopuli.xyz 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Orbán's media empire has a tactic where they buy liberal news outlets and let them continue to be independent so they maintain their readership. They go full blast on disinfo in critical moments only. Of course that wears credibility out, so they run a treadmill of buying new outlets and wearing them out.

See index.hu for example, check their articles now and on like 2015. Then check origo.hu, they were in this pipeline much earlier, today the Russians are winning the war every day with their wunderwaffen on there.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 6 days ago

Good to know ty

[–] oce@jlai.lu 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

I found some details here: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/funds-linked-to-hungary-pm-orban-were-used-in-euronews-takeover-says-report
The paywalled Le Monde article cited as a source above: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2024/04/11/orban-s-shadow-looms-over-euronews-takeover_6668144_19.html

[–] randomname@scribe.disroot.org 11 points 6 days ago

Le Monde conducted a joint investigation with VSquare, Direkt36 and Espresso. Here is the unpaywalled/archived report by Vsquare.

[–] marauding_gibberish142@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Who owns LeMonde?

[–] oce@jlai.lu 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

75% by media companies, divided into about 4 big owners,
25% by an independence pole made of their journalists, employees and readers.
The independence pole has the right to approve changes of shareholders.
The editors-in-chief of the different mediae of Le Monde Group are elected by the employees of the media.
The two last points provide an uncommon independence to Le Monde journalists compared to other big news sources.

[–] Snoopy@piefed.social 6 points 6 days ago

Didn't know, thank for the info. I only know euractiv beside euronews.

[–] randomname@scribe.disroot.org 3 points 6 days ago

As a side note, Australia's SBS (Special Broadcasting Service) has just started to partner with Euronews.

[–] atro_city@fedia.io 2 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I'm think that things like ground.news could be useful. It's Canadian

Snapwise Inc. dba Ground News:

280 Joseph St.

Kitchener, Ontario

N2G 4Z5, Canada

To show the different sides to a story.

P.S thank you for making me aware of who owns Euronews. Kinda sad that it got this far.

[–] Skua@kbin.earth 3 points 6 days ago

I'd be quite against posting links to Ground News in place of specific articles. It blocks basically everything if you don't have an account, and there's no way of knowing which article is actually under discussion

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 2 points 6 days ago

I join in OP's criticism, but Euronews is not owned by Orbán. It's still a French news outlet and needs to adhere to EU law. Not that that means it can't spread mis/disinformation.

Wikipedia:

Euronews is currently majority-owned by Alpac Capital, a company indirectly linked to the Hungarian government of Viktor Orbán.

The same could be true for a Canadian news outlet. Not saying it is though.