"He had to be punished for what he had done"

How trial by media works in the Hungarian independent online media in gender-based violence related cases

Abstract

This paper focuses on gender-based violence ’trial by media’ (TBM) cases in the Hungarian context. Guiding principles and mechanisms of TBM are explored based on ten semi-structured interviews conducted with journalists of the independent, non-tabloid, online media. The paper identifies and elaborates the following factors relevant in the escalation and winding down of TBM: (1) the newsworthiness of celebrities, (2) the reaction of the accused person, and the consequences he has to face, (3) systematic issues, (4) a history of similar cases, (5) the journalists’ personal attitude and drive, (6) the market-driven logic of commercial media, (7) the perceived disproportion of symbolic violence, and finally (8) politicization of the cases.