Who Owned the News? Press Dynamics and Public Views in Interwar Hungary

Balázs, Eszter (2024) Who Owned the News? Press Dynamics and Public Views in Interwar Hungary. CENTRAL EUROPEAN HORIZONS, 4 (2). pp. 78-120. ISSN 2732-0456

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Abstract

This paper examines changes in press ownership in Hungary between the World Wars, comparing the interwar period to the earlier “Golden Age” of the Austro-­Hungarian Monarchy (1880–1918), and situating these developments within broader Central versus Western European trajectories. It analyzes the political, social, economic, and legal factors shaping press ownership from 1920 to 1938 under Miklós Horthy’s authoritarian regime, emphasizing the enduring impact of the 1914 Press Law and the gradual shift toward increased state control by the late 1930s. The study also explores how public perceptions of prominent press owners evolved during this time, contributing to the emergence of the “press tycoon” stereotype. By tracing these historical patterns, the paper sheds light on continuities with contemporary trends in Central and Eastern Europe, where national ownership has resurged following the period of multinational dominance after the 1989 transition.

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