Prime Minister Viktor Orban lost in Hungary’s national elections, bringing his 16-year tenure to a close. On the week’s On the Media, what it will take for Hungary to rebuild a robust independent press after years of crackdowns. Plus, how two social media stars publicized sexual assault allegations against a California congressman. 
[01:00] Brooke speaks with <a href="https://www.politico.com/staff/melanie-mason" rel="noopener noreferrer">Melanie Mason</a>, POLITICO’s California Bureau Chief, to trace the “whisper network,” involving an education policy influencer with over 1.4 million followers, that exposed California Rep. Eric Swalwell’s history of sexual assault and resulted in his resignation from Congress and exit from the California gubernatorial race. Plus, what this reckoning reveals about the legacy of #MeToo.  
[18:33] Host Brooke Gladstone sat down with <a href="https://www.cjr.org/author/ivan-l-nagy" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ivan Nagy</a>, a political journalist and Delacorte Fellow at the Columbia Journalism Review from Hungary, days before the Hungarian election to discuss covering the lead-up, and the lasting damage inflicted on the press by Viktor Orban that will inevitably carry over into the next administration. 
[34:50] Brooke calls up Ivan Nagy again after Hungary’s election last weekend to discuss what it was like on the ground in the aftermath of Peter Magyar’s historic win over Viktor Orban, and what the new Prime Minister could mean for the media.
 Further reading / watching:
<ul>
 <li>“‘<a href="https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/if-someone-lit-match-place-would-explode-hungary-orban-magyar-martini.php" rel="noopener noreferrer">If Someone Lit Up a Match, the Place Would Explode</a>,’” by Ivan L. Nagy</li>
 <li>“<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/13/influencers-allegations-eric-swalwell-00869517" rel="noopener noreferrer">The whisper network that caught up to Eric Swalwell</a>,” by Melanie Mason and Jeremy White</li>
</ul>
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