80 Disgruntled Journalists

DOX presents a summer film evening under the stars featuring the documentary "80 Angry Journalists".

When Viktor Orbán's party began governing with a constitutional majority, media control became a long-term priority. Through a key ally, businessman Lajos Simicska, major traditional media outlets were gradually brought into its sphere of influence, and critical voices in the public sphere weakened. One of Hungary's most significant online newspapers, Index.hu, however, remained independent. In 2014, it became public that Simicska had acquired a significant stake in the paper - this sparked protests and Simicska denied it. It was only confirmed three years later when he attempted to activate the option. Massive public and editorial resistance ultimately blocked the transaction. Simicska meanwhile fell out of Orbán's favor, and after years of struggle lost nearly everything and withdrew from public life.

Ownership of Index passed to a newly established foundation, whose chairman became László Bodolai, the newspaper's long-time lawyer (nicknamed "Bodi" in the newsroom), who is also one of the film's protagonists. The editorial team's doubts about true independence led to the creation of an "independence barometer" - an indicator on the front page with three positions: "independent", "at risk", and "end of independence". Despite growing tension between the editorial team and ownership, the needle remained at "independent" - until 2019, when the foundation's leadership announced plans for structural changes to the newsroom's internal operations. Journalists saw many of the proposed changes as unacceptable interference in management and potentially in editorial content. After weeks of tension, editor-in-chief Szabolcs Dull moved the needle to "at risk". Millions of readers suddenly saw that something serious was happening - and the story reached international media.

At that moment, András Földes, a long-time editorial member and war correspondent, picked up a camera. The escalation ended with the departure of the entire newsroom - more than eighty, often elite journalists. The film follows this moral gesture and its practical consequences, opening questions about press freedom and its limits.