The presentation will describe the sources and main characteristics of political content on social media, as well as the main players. The main point of the presentation is that Fidesz's media strategy, by which it has dominated a large part of the traditional media, is not successful in social media. The top-down logic, backed up by a lot of public money, produces at best a high reach, but does not fit the basic concept of social media. Independent actors critical of government are much more successful in political communication on social media with much less resources.

1. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
Just a question of money?
The political use of social media in Hungary
Prof. Gábor Polyák

2. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
The two-tier Hungarian media system
Pro-governmet media
Access to public resources
Functioning as biased supporter of
government (parties), unconditional loyalty
Highly centralised editorial decisions,
homogenous approach
Independent media
No access to public resources
Functioning as public watchdog
Autonomus newsrooms with own worldview

3. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
Transforming media consumption habits
https://mertek.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Mertek-fuzetek_30.pdf
https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2023/hungary

4. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
News consumption in the online environment

5. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
Extending traditional media to social media?
Independent players on social media:
• bottom-up operation, following the logic of
social media
Pro-government players on social
media:
• copying the way the traditional pro-
government media operate largely top-down

6. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
Advertising market weight of the platforms
https://mrsz.hu/cmsfiles/a3/57/2022_MRSZ_media_komm_torta_hosszu_v7_FINAL_230418_EN.pdf
Global digital=66%
of total digital
Global digital:
+52% since 2019

7. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
Political communication network on social media
„321 Facebook pages have been
identified that provide uncritical
government messages to the
public”
„pro-government channels on
Facebook publish 3,500 posts per
month in the segment we know”
(Német, Minkó, Katona, 2021)

8. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
Megafon, the political influencer agency
„The organisation has previously said that it receives no public
money and that its supporters are right-wing businessmen.
However, the company's reports only tell how much they have
received in each year: they do not specify from whom. In 2022,
Megafon received HUF 2.76 billion, 2.34 billion in 2021, HUF
250 million in 2020. (~14 million EUR in a sum)” (Nagy 2023)
„it is not illegal to claim that Megafon's operations are
indirectly financed by public money through a foundation and
a company” (Bozzay 2022)
the organisation's close links to pro-government think tanks and
media
15 (known) poilitical influencers
most of them came from the traditional pro-government media,
pro-government public sphere
promotion, training, infrastructure

9. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
YouTube campaigns

10. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
YouTube channels for Russian propaganda
formerly regular commentators in
the pro-government media
strongly pro-Russian statements at
the beginning of the aggression
against Ukraine
„Ultrahang” as alternative channel
to spread the Russian narrative

11. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
Pro-government communities
a mix of bottom-up and top-down modes of operation

12. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
Partizán: a success story in critical public space
innovative media experiment
YouTube channel, daily content updates
since the Covid19, thematic blocks
„ leftism+activism”
80% of their viewers are male and the
strongest age group is 18-35
second-line Fidesz politicians also give
interviews
long in-depth interviews
small donations, big donors, grants
"the new public service media" - wonder
waiting

13. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
Rich variety in social media's critical public sphere
https://mertek.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Mertek-fuzetek_30.pdf

14. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
Crowdfunding as proof of the close relationship between the
content creator and the audience
Are there any news sources, press
products, radio stations or internet
portals to which you subscribe or
which you support financially?
• Voting age population: 11%
• 18-29 years old: 9%
• Pro-government voter: 9%
• Opposition voter: 15%
• No party: 12%

15. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
What news sources do you subscribe to/support?
Percentage who subscribe to or support a news source (N=132; pro-government: N=38; opposition:
N=49%; no party: N=41)
0
14
1
3
2
4
9
8
6
4
17
11
17
20
0
12
3
3
2
0
0
0
0
8
13
17
6
14
22
24
12
13
9
0
0
2
2
9
3
9
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
49
nem említ konkrét hírforrást
egyéb
Élet és Irodalom
JÓLVANEZÍGY (YouTube)
Nők Lapja
Szabad Föld
Magyar Nemzet
Mandiner
Hetek Közéleti Hetilap
Magyar Hang
444.hu
Klubrádió
nyomtatott HVG
HVG 360
Telex.hu
Partizán
megyei napilap
kormánypárti
ellenzéki
pártnélküli

16. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
The failure of the Fidesz media logic?
After the 2022 elections, a clear shift in favour of social media,
with resources diverted from traditional pro-government media
Supposedly, Fidesz has deemed the social media campaign a
success
However: the theme ("The opposition would take the country to
war") rather than the form of communication was the secret of
success
Research does not confirm the pervasive power of Megafon
Lack of innovative funding models and ideas to keep the loyalty
of the public

17. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
Micro-targeting: blessing or curse?
Proposal for a Regulation on the transparency and targeting of political advertising
Limiting political and ideological targeting
• Subject to prior consent
• Foundation, association, non-profit organisation
Advantage for the actor with unlimited resources
Pseudo-civil society organisations for political purposes?
• Megafon NONPROFIT Ltd :)

18. Social Media and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, 5-6 October 2023
Thank you for attention!