Newstex publishers' stories: Alpár Kató of Daily News Hungary

Inspiration

What inspired you to start working in the publishing industry? What inspired you to start creating content?

I was inspired by the feeling that there were real gaps in the information available to international readers about Hungary. In 2013, there was far less high-quality news about Hungary, and I saw this as a gap in the market. I enjoy working in news, I like keeping people informed, and I also think it’s important to emphasize that I wanted to set an example within the Hungarian media that it is indeed possible to operate independently. Obviously, it’s easier to live off free money from a political party or a circle of influencers, but we’re proud that we operate purely on a business model.

This work also requires a sense of vocation. There were many people who lived in Hungary, did business here, studied here, traveled here, or were simply interested in the country, yet who had no access to Hungarian-language media. I saw an opportunity to build a reliable, English-language bridge between Hungary and the rest of the world.

At first, this was a very personal endeavor. For almost two years, I was on duty practically every day. I reinvested all the revenue back into the publication until we reached the point where I could take on my first colleague to work alongside me. From then on, a snowball effect took hold.

What began as a small publishing project gradually became one of the leading English-language news portals focusing on Hungary. What still motivates me today is the same vision: to make Hungary more understandable and accessible to an international audience. And in this regard, I believe we maintain a uniquely high standard, and we’re proud of that.

Have you ever seriously considered closing down your publication, and if so, what was it that ultimately stopped you from doing so?

There were times, particularly in the early years, when I had to ask myself whether what I was doing was sustainable.

Publishing is demanding because it never really stops. News knows no weekends, public holidays or office hours, and in the beginning we had very few resources at our disposal.

What kept me going was seeing the audience grow and realizing that people genuinely need what we produce. Every new milestone–more readers, the first employee, international recognition, new partners–proved that the publication had a right to exist.

In the end, it was no longer just my project. It became something that readers, colleagues, partners and an international community all relied on. This makes giving it up much harder. Besides, I’m not really the type to give things up. 

Key words

How would you describe your publication in just three words, and why would you choose these particular words?

Independent. International. Reliable.

Independent because editorial integrity is one of a publication’s most valuable strengths.

International because although Hungary is at the center of our reporting, our audience is global. Our readers come from more than 170 countries, and a significant part of our remit is to present Hungary to the wider world.

And reliable, because in an environment where people are inundated with information, credibility is more important than ever. Readers return to a publication when they believe it provides them with useful, accurate and understandable information.

These three words also describe what we want to preserve as we continue to grow.

Target audience

Who is your target audience, and has your idea of your ideal audience changed since you started?

Our main readership consists of people who are interested in Hungary, but who do not necessarily speak Hungarian.

This includes expats living in Hungary, diplomats, businesspeople, investors, international students, tourists, those considering moving to Hungary, Hungarians living abroad, and people of Hungarian descent who no longer speak Hungarian.

At the start, the concept was probably simpler: to provide Hungarian news in English.

As time went on, we realized that our audience needed much more than just news. They wanted to understand how Hungary works, where it is worth visiting, what is changing, what opportunities are available, what is happening in the cultural and economic spheres, and how developments here affect them personally or professionally.

As a result, our audience has broadened, but it has also become much more clearly defined. Today, we no longer simply see ourselves as people who translate or report on Hungary for a foreign audience.

We are building an international information platform centered on Hungary, and a community keeps us going.

How do you decide which topics are really worth reporting on, and which are best left to others?

The first question is always: Why would this interest our international readership?

It may be that a news story is extremely important within the Hungarian media landscape, but barely relevant to an international audience. Conversely, something that receives relatively little attention at home may be extremely important to a foreign resident, investor, student or traveler.

That is why we look for stories we can provide context and relevance for, rather than simply repeating information that is already widely available.

Our strongest areas are, of course, diplomacy, Hungarian politics and public affairs, business and investment, tourism, education, culture, significant developments, and stories that help international readers understand the country.

We must also be disciplined. A publisher cannot be the best source in every field.

I would rather focus our resources on those areas where we have a clear raison d’être and can create added value.

In your view, what are the biggest challenges currently facing the publishing industry?

I believe the biggest challenge is maintaining trust whilst upholding a sustainable business model.

Publishers are under enormous pressure to produce more content faster, whilst competing with social media platforms, content creators, aggregators, search engines and, now, AI-generated content.

At the same time, distribution is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Publishers have spent years building their audiences on platforms and search engines that they do not control, and a change to a proprietary algorithm can suddenly have a significant impact on traffic. Unfortunately, the tech giants do as they please with the market. They are also gradually driving prices down, thereby making it impossible for smaller media companies to survive. 

AI also extracts information from news sites, but it does not, so to speak, pay for visits (banner impressions, clicks on adverts) in the same way as an average reader; instead, it receives the content for free, which it then utilizes for its own benefit. I believe that if AI companies are serious about needing relevant information, they will start paying news sites for the use of their content, because without news sites there will be no new content, and with that, their own source of information will dry up. AI companies need to understand that it is in their own interests to support media organizations. 

There is also growing tension between speed and accuracy. Being first is valuable, but in the long run, it is far more valuable if people trust us.

For independent publishers, the solution cannot simply be to generate more page views. We need stronger direct relationships with readers, more diversified revenue streams, high-quality partnerships, and content that offers genuine authority and value.

I believe that the publishers who will survive and grow are those who build a genuine brand and community, rather than relying solely on general traffic.

Choosing syndication

What prompted you to enter into a partnership with Newstex, and what value has this relationship brought to your publication?

For us, the rationale behind our collaboration with Newstex was closely linked to our international ambitions.

Daily News Hungary produces content about a relatively small country, but many of the topics we cover – business, politics, investment, tourism, education and international relations – extend far beyond Hungary’s borders.

Newstex offered us the opportunity to extend the reach and longevity of our journalism beyond our own website and existing distribution channels.

The value of the partnership lies not merely in increased visibility. It is about making our journalism discoverable and positioning it within a broader professional information ecosystem, where it can reach audiences who might never have discovered Daily News Hungary on their own.

For a publication like ours, this is particularly valuable. One of our most important missions is to connect Hungary with an international audience, and partnerships that help spread authoritative, Hungary-focused English-language journalism are, of course, fully in line with this mission.

I also view partnerships such as the one with Newstex as part of a more sustainable publishing model: Rather than relying on a single source of traffic or platform, we want our content and brand to be present across a range of credible distribution channels.

Alpár Kató is a Hungarian media entrepreneur, journalist and marketing professional. He is the founder and CEO of DNH Media Group, publisher of Daily News Hungary and Helló Magyar. His work focuses on international media, business communication and building connections between Hungary and the international community.