The media can play an important role in raising media consumers’ awareness of social diversity and in enhancing their sensitivity to the issues faced by various groups in society. Hungarian media service providers may have an indirect impact on social solidarity and, as a result, on social cohesion in Hungary. Act CLXXXV of 2010 on media services and mass media prioritizes the objectives of social diversity in relation to public service media services. Accordingly, it is an important responsibility of the public service media to further national cohesion and social integration, and to showcase the special groups of society (nationalities, religious communities, disadvantaged groups, persons living with disabilities, Hungarian minorities beyond the border). As per Article 83 (1) of the Act, the objectives of public service media provision are:

a)    to provide socially and culturally comprehensive media services aimed at as many social strata and culturally distinct groups and individuals as possible,

b)    to foster and enrich national, communal and European identity and culture and the Hungarian language,

c)    to promote and strengthen national cohesion and social integration, and to respect the institution of marriage and the value of the family,

d)    to satisfy the media needs of nationalities, religious and other communities, to present their culture and to foster the mother tongues of nationalities,

e)    to satisfy the special needs for media services of underprivileged groups who are at a severe disadvantage due to their age, physical, mental or psychological condition or social circumstances, as well as people living with a disability,

f)     to serve the cultural needs of Hungarians living abroad, to help retain their national self-identity and preserve their mother tongue, and to enable their spiritual links with their mother country,

g)    to broadcast programmes about social, economic and cultural life in Hungary and in various regions in the Carpathian Basin,

h)   to present Hungary and Hungarian culture to Europe and to the world, as well as the culture of the nationalities living in Hungary,

Taking into consideration the ability of the media to shape identity and of the special informational role of public service media, the Public Service Code also lays special emphasis on reflecting social diversity. According to the Code, public service media is a guardian of community cohesion and integration, and as such, it enables all social strata and groups to appear in the public sphere. Among other things, the Code specifies the following public service media objectives:

a)    to provide socially and culturally comprehensive media services aimed at as many social strata and culturally distinct groups and individuals as possible, while also enabling all social strata and culturally distinct groups to appear in the public sphere nationwide, doing all this in such a way that it helps the relations and understanding between, and integration of, the different groups and strata,

b)    to provide unbiased, accurate, thorough, objective and responsible news services and reporting,

c)    to foster and enrich national, communal, religious and European identity and culture as well as the Hungarian language, to disseminate historical knowledge authoritatively,

d)    to promote and strengthen national cohesion and social integration, and to respect and support the institution of marriage and the value of the family,

e)    to satisfy the media needs of national and ethnic minorities, religious communities and other communities, to present their culture and to foster the mother tongues of national and ethnic minorities,

f)     to satisfy the special needs for media services of underprivileged groups who are at a severe disadvantage due to their age, physical, mental or psychological condition or social circumstances, as well as of people living with a disability, with reference to the right to equal access to public service media services,

g)    to serve the cultural needs of Hungarians living abroad, to help retain their national self-identity and preserve their mother tongue, and to enable their spiritual links with their mother country,

h)   to broadcast programmes about social, economic and cultural life in Hungary and in various regions in the Carpathian Basin,

i)     to present to Europe and to the world Hungary and Hungarian culture and the culture of the national and ethnic minorities living in Hungary,

j)      to broadcast a rich selection of varied programmes presenting diverse value systems; public service media service providers must aim to present the various possible approaches to, and evaluations of, particular subject matters,

k)    to present the activities of Parliament, governmental and municipal organizations, churches, parties, trade unions, civil organizations and communities of citizens and to provide publicity for their operations.

Taking the above into consideration, the NMHH Programme Monitoring and Analysis Department conducts regular reviews to establish how the various social, economic and ethnic groups, Hungarians living beyond the borders, immigrants and persons with disabilities are presented in news programmes in Hungary.