The European
Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today expressed its grave concern over a recent
anti-Roma article by senior editor Zsolt Bayer.
In an article
published in the Magyar Hírlap newspaper on January 5, Bayer commented
on a recent stabbing involving Roma suspects, writing that “a significant
number of Gypsies are unsuitable for co-existence … These Gypsies are animals
and act as animals … they should not be tolerated or understood but punished.” Magyar
Hírlap is a daily owned by Gábor SZÉLES, a well- known Fidesz supporter.
“We are
horrified to read again and again in Hungary media articles that incite hatred
against minority groups,” said EFJ President Arne König. “The editor- in- chief
of Magyar Hírlap should never have allowed such an article to be
printed. This shows the urgent need for dialogue among media players, including
journalists’ organisations to agree on the responsibilities and duties of
journalists and editors.”
The Ethical
Committee of the Association of the Hungarian Journalists, an EFJ affiliate,
also condemned the action of Zsolt Bayer, stating that “The views expressed in
his article violate the rules and values of the Code of Ethics of the Association
of Hungarian Journalists and are in contradiction with the 1003/93 EU
recommendations on ethical journalism, as well as against the rules set by
Artcile 11 of the European Human Rights Charter.”
The EFJ
accused the authorities in Hungary of undermining responsible journalism in the
country in their drive to control media which encourages extreme views in
media.
“We note that
the government did not react and speak out against this hate speech. Its
attempt to control the media in Hungary has created a situation where hate
speech like this seems to be tolerated,” added König. “At the same time, media
outlets which take seriously their role of critical reporting are being
deprived of advertisements for political reasons. Journalism in Hungary is
suffering from self-censorship and hostile legal actions on top of the current
media.,”
The European
Commission senior officials have also strongly criticised the article by Bayer.
The Commission’s Vice President Viviane Reding and Commissioner for Digital
Agenda Neelie Kroes called Bayer's remarks unacceptable and said that the
European Union has no room for racism, hate speech or any other forms of
intolerance.
The EFJ is the European group of the International Federation of Journalists and it represents over 300,000 journalists in 37 countries.
For more information contact the EFJ at +32 2 235.2200