Free Media Awards 2025
Direkt36 (Hungary)

The platform is receiving a Free Media Award for its powerful in-depth journalism. Established by András Pethő, Gergő Sáling and Balázs Weyer in 2015, Direkt36 has evolved into a high-impact investigative multimedia platform. All material is published in Hungarian and English. This past February, Direkt36 published the documentary film ‘A Dinasztia’/‘The Dynasty’, in which the journalists investigate the financial empire built by the Orbán family over many years. The film provides an unprecedented view of the wealth accumulated in Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s inner circle, focusing on his son-in-law István Tiborcz and eldest daughter Ráhel Orbán. It reveals how Tiborcz’s businesses have benefited greatly from lucrative public procurement contracts that EU auditors have flagged as illegal. The family has received substantial state support for expanding its luxury properties. Within 24 hours of its release, the film on YouTube had one million views, and as of today, it has been viewed nearly 3.9 million times. The documentary has sparked serious public discussions in Hungary. Direkt36 is behind many significant disclosures about cyber surveillance, Russian hacking operations, and the spread of infections in Hungarian hospitals. The platform actively contributes to international journalistic collaboration under the auspices of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, and it has collaborated with French Le Monde and Portuguese Expresso on cross-border projects. In the face of constant attacks from politicians and government-controlled media, Direkt36 stands firm.