ABSTRACT

It is better to have a war of words and political strategies around the media than to have a war fought with tanks and guns in the fields. And it is better to have a public television fighting for its independence than to have one which has accepted, and is resigned to, its dependence. In this light, the Hungarian media's war of independence may be considered as a sign of relative peace and maturity. At the same time, it is the exception that does not make the rule. And it is not quite norma1.