Editorial standards

Independence

Only the newsroom decides what we cover and how. No political party, government body, advertiser, sponsor or business partner has a say in it.

The business interests of our publisher and owner cannot override editorial judgment. When a story involves the publisher, the owner or their business partners, we say so clearly in the article.

We do not accept money, gifts or any other benefit in exchange for covering a subject, or for leaving it alone.

Accuracy and verification

We publish only what we have verified. Every figure, name, title, date and quotation is checked against the primary source before publication.

We work on a two-person rule: besides the author, at least one editor reads every piece before it goes live.

A headline and a summary may not promise more than the story proves. We do not write clickbait, and we do not overstate the facts.

What we could not confirm, we do not present as fact. If it matters to the story, we explain exactly what we know and what we do not.

Sourcing and attribution

We rely first on primary sources: official documents, statistics, court and regulatory records, our own reporting on the ground and on-the-record statements.

Public sources are listed at the end of every article and linked wherever possible. When we build on another outlet’s reporting, we name it and link to it.

We publish news agency material only under a valid license. Our summaries of public sources are labeled as editorial summaries.

We never use other people’s work without credit. We treat plagiarism as a serious breach of professional standards.

Anonymous sources

We grant anonymity only in exceptional cases: when the information serves a significant public interest, cannot be obtained any other way, and the source has first-hand knowledge of the facts.

The editor responsible always knows the identity of an anonymous source. Wherever possible, we confirm the claim with a second, independent source.

We tell readers why we are not naming the source and, as far as it is safe, how the source knows about the matter. We do not publish anonymous personal attacks or opinions.

When we promise a source anonymity, we protect it.

Quotations and interviews

A quotation must match what was said, word for word. We may shorten it, but we do not change its meaning or take it out of context.

If a statement was given in writing, by email or in a press release, we say so. Quotes translated from another language are presented as our own translation.

We always give the interviewee’s name and position. We may edit an interview for length and clarity, but we do not alter the meaning of questions or answers. Interviewees may check their own words; editorial decisions remain ours.

News, explainers and opinion

Readers should always know what they are reading, so every piece carries a label:

• Briefing: verified facts, without commentary.
• Field report: what our reporter saw and heard in person.
• Interview: the interviewee’s own words, edited for length and clarity.
• Explainer: interpretation based on facts and data, which may include the author’s professional assessment.
• Opinion: an author’s own view, not necessarily that of the newsroom. Any opinion piece we publish is clearly labeled.

In news stories, we keep facts and the author’s opinions apart.

Fairness and the right to respond

Anyone criticized in our reporting, or facing a serious allegation, gets a chance to respond before publication, with a reasonable amount of time to do so.

If they do not reply, we say so. If they respond later, we add their response and note that the story was updated.

We aim to reflect every relevant perspective on an issue. Balance does not mean giving a demonstrably false claim the same weight as established fact.

Corrections and formal requests

When we make a mistake, we correct it promptly and openly. We never fix a substantive error quietly: a note at the top of the article explains what was wrong and when it was corrected.

Corrections are made in all three language editions at the same time and are also listed on our Corrections page.

Minor typos that do not affect the meaning may be fixed without a note.

We do not remove published stories because someone finds them uncomfortable. A story may be taken down only for legal reasons, because of a risk to someone’s safety, or if it is fundamentally wrong. In that case we leave a short explanation in its place.

Formal correction requests under Hungarian press law (Section 12 of Act CIV of 2010, known as Smtv.) are handled as the law requires. Such requests must be submitted in writing within 30 days of publication, using the newsroom’s contact details.

Conflicts of interest, gifts and travel

Our journalists may not cover a company, organization or matter in which they or a close relative have a financial interest or personal ties. Any such situation must be disclosed to an editor in advance.

Our journalists do not do PR, marketing or consulting work for organizations they may cover.

We do not accept gifts beyond token value. If an organizer pays for travel, accommodation or admission and this is justified for the reporting, we disclose it in the article.

No one may use non-public information obtained through our work for personal financial gain, including trading in securities.

Advertising and sponsored content

Paid content is always recognizable. Advertisements are labeled “Advertisement” and sponsored pieces “Sponsored content”, and both are visually separated from editorial material.

Sponsored content is not produced by our newsroom journalists. Advertisers cannot review editorial material in advance or influence it.

We disclose our media partnerships publicly.

Photos, video and graphics

We do not manipulate news photographs. Cropping and standard adjustments to exposure and color are allowed; changing what the picture shows is not.

Every image is credited with its creator and license. Illustrations are labeled as such, and archive photos carry the date they were taken.

Our charts must not distort proportions. Every graphic shows its source and the date of the data.

Artificial intelligence

For us, artificial intelligence is a tool. We may use it to transcribe recordings, to produce a working draft of a translation, to organize data or to prepare research.

We never publish a fact based solely on the output of an AI tool. People are responsible for everything we publish: the author and the editor.

An AI-generated image is never presented as a real photograph. If we use such an illustration, the caption says so clearly.

If AI played a meaningful role in producing a piece, we say so in the article.

Three language editions

Budapest Global Review is published in Hungarian, English and Chinese. The English and Chinese versions are based on the Hungarian original and follow the same standards.

Translations are checked by an editor. If the versions differ, the Hungarian text prevails, and the error is corrected in every edition.

If a story is not yet available in every language, we say so on the page.

Privacy and human dignity

We report freely on the public activities of public figures. We cover their private lives only when there is a clear public interest.

We publish the names and personal details of private individuals only when they are genuinely necessary to understand the story.

We take particular care with minors, victims of crime and people in vulnerable situations, and we do not make them identifiable without consent.

Personal data is handled in line with data protection law, including the GDPR.

Field reporting, accreditation and embargoes

A piece is published as a field report only if our reporter was actually there. When we work from other sources, we say so.

We apply for accreditation according to each organizer’s rules, and the organizer always decides on access. We respect the conditions set for photography and filming.

We always identify ourselves as journalists. Hidden recording or undercover methods are used only in exceptional cases of significant public interest, and only with the prior approval of the editor responsible.

We honor embargoes we have agreed to. We do not publish press releases as our own stories; when we use them, we name them as a source.

Headlines, descriptions and updates

A headline states the substance of the story, with the concrete fact, figure or actor first. We do not write ambiguous or misleading headlines to win clicks. Headlines use the actual date rather than words such as “today”, so they do not become misleading later.

Every article carries a short, factual description in all three languages. It appears in search results, social media previews and AI-powered search tools. The description may only state what the article itself says.

The English and Chinese editions contain the full Hungarian article, not a shortened summary of it.

We never change the original publication date or present an old article as new. When an article’s content is substantively expanded or changed, the update is marked with its date in the article, in all three editions. Fixing an image, a link or technical data does not count as an update.

We link to sources at their original, permanent public address. We do not link to preview, shortened, tracking or AMP versions.

Articles also carry machine-readable data (headline, author, dates, source, corrections) so that search engines interpret them accurately. This data always matches the visible text.

Our content is openly accessible to search engines and AI-powered search tools. Anyone quoting us is asked to cite the article’s headline, link and publication date.

Our journalists in public

What our staff say on social media also reflects on the credibility of Budapest Global Review. They do not take on public party-political roles or make statements that would call their impartiality into question on the subjects they cover.

Newsroom scoops are published on Budapest Global Review first, not on personal accounts.