Diplomatic mission is not tasked with criticizing media outlets of host country

Respecting the freedom of press is the duty of all diplomats accredited to Hungary, said Rajmund Kiss, Head of the Center for Diplomatic Studies at the Mattchias Corvinus Collegium (MCC).

20230417 Pécs Pécsre utazott David Pressman amerikai nagykövet, aki nyilvános program keretében látogatott el a Pécsi Tudományegyetemre, majd a Nemzeti Virológiai Laboratóriumba ment. Később „off the record” háttérbeszélgetést tartott. David Pressman egy Soros Györgyhöz köthető helyi alapítványt is meglátogatott. Fotó: Laufer László LL Dunántúli Napló DN A képen: David Pressman USA nagykövet a pécsi belvárosban Fotó: Laufer László

As Magyar Nemzet wrote earlier, our newspaper has received a letter from the US Embassy in Budapest in response to our article on travel restrictions for Hungarian citizens to the US. They objected to Magyar Nemzet's use of the term "visa sanctions" in the title. The embassy, they wrote, "respectfully informs us" that "visa sanctions" is an inaccurate term and suggested a different wording. 

"It is not the role of a diplomatic mission to criticise and control independent media in the host country", Rajmund Kiss, head of the Center for Diplomatic Studies at Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), told our newspaper. 

He added that respecting press freedom is the duty of all diplomats accredited to Hungary. Of course they can ask the press to correct factual inaccuracies, they can express their opinion, but if they want to express their political or ideological disagreement with the press, this may not be the most appropriate or common form in diplomacy. 

A few months ago, the US ambassador was concerned about the freedom of the Hungarian press. Who would have thought that he would take the unprecedented step of telling a journalist how to express himself in an article?

he asked.

Rajmund Kiss said that Hungary was an important economic and defense ally of the United States, adding that "such events are not worthy of our ally."

US Ambassador David Pressman. Photo by Laszlo Laufer/Dunantuli Naplo