Romania: Editorial Team Of Hungarian News Portal Resigns En Masse Citing “Political Pressure”
Location: Romania, Bucharest
Date: February 15, 2022
After 23 years of operation, the entire editorial staff of the Hungarian-language online news portal Transindex has resigned en masse, citing political pressure on their journalistic work that led to funding being withdrawn. In a statement confirming their resignations, the editorial team maintained that they refuse to do “journalistic work according to the demands of any political force”. The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands in solidarity with the Transindex staff and condemns the circumstances which forced them to resign in protest. We urge the political leadership of the country to refrain from interfering with independent reporting. Such pressures directly threaten press freedom and reflect poorly on Romania, which claims to value freedom of expression and the rights of minorities as a European Union member.
“We have all noticed that the space for freedom of expression and publicity in Transylvanian Hungary has become increasingly restricted in recent times,” read the statement issued by the editorial team of Transindex on February 15, 2022.
Political pressures that interfere with funding and reporting of the news outlet left them “no choice,” they explained. “For almost two years, we have been struggling for our survival in a politically-determined environment in which the press can only choose between two paths: either it capitulates and continues to function as a virtual mouthpiece for various political interests, or it tries to do its job, but in this case, risks being impossible.”
In November 2021, Transindex launched a campaign to expose the external pressures faced by the news portal. They reported that their funding was reduced in response to the outlet’s critical coverage of issues involving minority communities living in Romania. They warned then that it was no longer possible to maintain the website without contribution by readers.
Over 1.2 million ethnic Hungarians live in Romania, a country of more than 19 million, making it the largest Hungarian community in the region. According to the 2011 census, Hungarians are the largest ethnic minority in Romania and constitute around 6.1% of the total population.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is extremely concerned about the pressures on independent media in the country. The CFWIJ stands in solidarity with the staff of Transindex and lauds their commitment to ethical reporting. Attempts to suppress or influence coverage of the conditions of minority groups in the country are a direct threat to press freedom. As a member state of the European Union since January 2007, Romania must continue to uphold media freedom and right to information as fundamental rights. We call on the country’s political leadership to desist from interfering with independent reporting. Journalists must be allowed to report freely and independently and hold power to account.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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