80 Angry Journalists

On 22 July 2020, the entire editorial team of the Hungarian news outlet Index resigned in protest, bringing the conflict over media independence in Hungary to international attention. Hungarian journalist András Földes, himself a member of the editorial team, went on to document the developments surrounding the takeover of Index over a period of five years. The result is 80 Angry Journalists, a complex documentary film exploring political interference, internal conflicts and the struggle for independent journalism in Hungary.

The journalists’ collective resignation became one of Hungary’s biggest media scandals in recent years. As Věra Jourová, then Vice-President of the European Commission, explains in the film, the protest also provided important impetus for the wider European debate on safeguarding press freedom.

The documentary centres on three distinct perspectives: the editorial team as a collective, the journalist Veronika Munk and László Bodolai, the lawyer representing Index. Munk’s personal and professional journey is particularly central to the film. From a committed journalist, she emerges first as the informal and later as the elected leader of the protest. Her journey illustrates how difficult it can be to assume responsibility in a tense situation, reconcile differing interests and hold a collective protest together.

Following their resignation, the former Index journalists launched the platform Telex, a new news outlet funded by its readers. Yet this fresh start also brought new challenges of its own: internal disputes once again put the cohesion of the editorial team to the test.

80 Angry Journalists tells not only the story of Index, but also raises fundamental questions about press freedom and media independence in Europe. How can editorial teams safeguard their independence when political and economic interests exert increasing influence? And what does it take to work together, maintain trust and remain able to act collectively in such circumstances?

The film will be screened in Hungarian with English subtitles.

80 ANGRY JOURNALISTS

Countries: Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Norway, Denmark (2026)
Directors: András Földes, Anna Kis
Original language: Hungarian
Subtitles: English
Running time: 94 minutes

A discussion with the director will take place after the screening (translation German/English is available).

András Földes, director, Hungarian journalist, war correspondent and filmmaker

Moderator: Katharina Viktoria Weiß, Reporters Without Borders

Contact: 
Claudia Rothe
Policy Advisor European Union
E rothe@boell.de