Not surprisingly, only a quarter of Hungarians trust the state news services

A recent survey has unearthed startling insights into how Hungarians stay informed about events in their country and the world. Notably, Hungary’s media consumption diverges significantly from other European nations. A mere quarter of the population places trust in state news services, a markedly lower figure compared to other EU countries.

Trust in state news services

As Népszava reported, in Europe, 48% of citizens trust the state news services over other sources. However, this number is much lower in Hungary, only 25%. This percentage makes Hungary the country with the least people trusting the state news on the list of 27 EU countries. Even Poland is ahead of Hungary, with its 26%. Greece and Malta also ranked the lowest with their 39%. Conversely, Finland (71%), Portugal (65%), and Sweden (63%) lead the chart with the highest levels of trust.

Saying goodbye to traditional news sources

While in the other countries, the state news services are considered the most trustworthy source, it is not the case in Hungary. As it appears, Hungary is turning away from the national news sources. Many people get informed through social media, friends, groups, blogs and podcasts. In Hungary, Facebook has a sky-high number of users that get up to date on the social media platform. 83% of Hungarians confessed that they have used the app in the last seven days. WhatsApp is highly popular in EU countries, as 62% of people use it. Surprisingly, in Hungary, only 13% use this app.

What topics interest Hungarians?

The survey delved into the topics that capture Hungarians’ attention the most: local, European, sport, culture or science. A significant 44% of Hungarians prioritise European news, diverging from the European norm where most citizens prefer local news. While 70% of Europeans follow the news daily, a higher 15% of Hungarians consciously avoid certain topics. Unfortunately, the survey did not explore the specifics of disliked topics.

The most popular TV channels in Hungary

62% of people follow ATV’s news, while 56% watch the daily news on RTL. The survey revealed that only 31% gather information from state-operated television programmes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the majority of those tuning into these programmes align with the governing party, with around 60% supporting Fidesz. Opposition voters, constituting 63%, gravitate towards RTL’s news, known for its critical stance on the government. Additionally, four out of ten governing party voters also engage with government-critical programmes.

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