Hungary Suspends State News Broadcasts Amid Media Overhaul Promising Independence

Hungary's state television has temporarily suspended its news broadcasts as the government undertakes a "reorganization" of public media to transform it into an "independent and reliable" institution. The flagship channel M1 displayed a black screen with a message stating, "Public media must not lie. We apologize for having done so for many years." This media reform follows election promises by newly appointed Prime Minister Péter Medgyessy to restructure state media and end what he described as "propaganda" under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's administration.