Liberty Press buys Hungary's Népszava to secure its future

What's the deal? Liberty Press Kft.Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired XXI. század Média Zrt.Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the company that runs Hungarian daily NépszavaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the paper announced on its site on Wednesday. Liberty Press said the takeover aims to secure the long-term survival of the struggling newsroom.

Why now? Népszava has been in a precarious position since May 28, when printer and distributor MediaworksDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → terminated its contract with immediate effect. The next day's print edition could not appear, and the paper has since kept publishing online via nepszava.hu and a digital "mobile Népszava" edition.

Who's running it? Balázs Vető, founder of the Forrás Social Research InstituteDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, takes over as chief executive officer. Gábor Horváth leads the newsroom as interim editor-in-chief until an expected relaunch.

The deal is part of a larger media acquisition that will also change Liberty Press's ownership structure. The new leadership said it will share further details soon.

The signal: The acquisition marks another shift in Hungary's contested media landscape, where ownership changes have repeatedly reshaped independent outlets. For now, the deal keeps a long-running title alive after a distribution crisis that nearly ended its print run.

Read more: Portfolio

Image credit: NS Newsflash