Outlets Strive For Independence In Hungary, Where Most Media Back The Government

Just three years ago, the daily Dunantuli Naplo was considered a reliable source of news in southern Hungary wine country.

Its name means Trans-Danube Journal. Based in Pecs, a cobblestoned university city that once thrived on coal mining, the newspaper's journalists were known for digging into important local issues and holding politicians accountable.

"We pushed back when politicians tried to interfere in our work," says Ferenc Nimmerfroh, a bearded 45-year-old dad of three, who worked there for more than two decades. "We took really reporting seriously and tried not to take sides.

Then, in 2016, there was a series of ownership changes at , where Nimmerfroh was the managing editor. The new owners of the publisher Mediaworks considered close to Hungary's nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban. When Mediaworks has bought shares