Index is in danger

The editorial staff of Index is in danger.

A little less than two years ago, we created a barometer where anybody can check if Index.hu works freely or not. At that time, the staff of Index made a unanimous statement saying that there are two basic prerequisites for our continued operation: Index's editorial independence and that there is no outside interference in our staffing decisions.

We wanted to cut through the fog of rumours and conspiracy theories and have a way to unmistakeably let our readers know when we think there is trouble.

Index is under such external pressure that could spell out the end of our editorial staff as we know it. We are concerned that with the proposed organisational overhaul, we will lose those values that made Index.hu the biggest and most-read news site in Hungary.

We are not sure that we will be able to keep working this way for long, and since we believe in the power of the public, we are on the opinion that you, as our readers, must know about this.

The next couple of days will determine the fate of Index. We will keep you updated on the developments here on the site as long as we can, as long as we are allowed.

As long as we are free. The news site we love and would love is independent, autonomous, and operates without external influence, it works freely and as a single organisation.

• We want a news site the existence and operation of which does not depend on the unpredictable and ever-changing tastes of political and economical powers.
• We want a news site where politicians and messengers of the government or economic actors have no power to pull a story.
• We want a news site where headlines and cover pictures are selected by the authors and editors.
• We want a news site where the members of the staff decide what headlines, videos, and photos get real estate on the front page.
• We want a news site that is not afraid to cover scandals, abuses of power, and where no hands tremble if they have to write down names of politicians and public servants when they get involved in uncomfortable stories. Not even if those concerned get mad.
• We want a news site where the editors and journalists are thinking together to determine if something is newsworthy, and if so, in what way it should be covered.
• We want a news site where external advisors with shady political backgrounds, appearing out of the blue, have no say in the structure of our editorial staff.
• We want a news site that readers can depend on to cover the stories and tips they send us, be it about an authority pushing them around, the antics of a power-drunk local petty monarch, or any abuse of power.
• And we want a news site that can do that while protecting the anonymity of the sources.

We are not at all sure that we will be able to keep making a news site like that for long in the future, but as we are firm believers in the power of the public, we think that this is something that you, as our readers, must know.

In the upcoming days, the fate of Index will be settled. We will keep you updated on the developments here on Index and on Facebook as long as we can. As long as we are allowed.

The list of signatories at 7:30 AM on 22 June:

Ajpek Orsi

Aradi László

Arnótszky Janka

Ághassi Attila

Bakró-Nagy Ferenc

Barakonyi Szabolcs

Biró Marianna

Bolcsó Dániel

Bóna Samu

Bozzay Balázs

Bozsó Ágnes

Bődey János Gergely

Brückner Gergely

Csatári Flóra

Cseke Balázs

Cser Ildikó

Csurgó Dénes

Demeter Ági

Dezső András

Dull Szabolcs

Egyed Anna

Előd Fruzsina

Fábián Tamás

Fehér János

Fillér Máté

Flachner Balázs

Ficsór Zsolt

Fodor Orsolya

Földes András

Földi Gábor

Gőzsy Kati

Haász János

Hanula Zsolt

Hernádi Levente

Hollik Ági

Hudák Hajnal

Huszti István

Iván András

Iván-Nagy Szilvia

Janecskó Kata

Jenei Miklós

Joób Sándor

Juhász Edina

Kárpáti Márton

Kaszás Tamás

Klág Dávid

Kolozsi Ádám

Kolozsvári Tímea

Koroknai Gergely

Kovács Bálint

Kovács Dávid

Kovács Zoltán

Körömi Csongor

Lengyel-Szabó Péter

Lovas Gergő

Marczisovszky Márton

Marjanovic Mira

Martiskó Gábor

Matalin Dóra

Mészáros Tamás

Miklósi Gábor

Mizsur András

Molnár Csaba

Molnár Réka

Munk Veronika

Nagy Attila Károly

Nagy Roland

Nehéz-Posony Ferenc

Német Tamás

Németh Péter

Nyilas Gergely

Pál Tamás

Pálúr Krisztina

Pándi Balázs

Pintér Luca

Pintér Mónika

Presinszky Judit

Rácz Attila

Rovó Attila

Rostás Bianka

Sajó Dávid

Simor Dániel

Somogyi Péter

Stöckert Gábor

Szabó Zoltán

Szalai Bálint

Szalma Baksi Ferenc

Szémann Tamás

Szilágyi Máté

Szilli Tamás

Tenczer Gábor

Thüringer Barbara

Tóth Balázs

Tóth Gergely

Tóth-Szenesi Attila

Török Balázs

Trencsényi Ádám

Varga Attila

Világi Máté

Záborszky Ede

Zsuppán András