Outsourced political campaign: role of pro-government political influencers in spreading hostile narratives in Hungary

During the 2024 European Parliament and municipal election campaigns, the ruling Hungarian party, Fidesz, significantly increased its use of populist rhetoric and disinformation techniques through a pro-government political influencer network known as the Megafon Központ (Megafon Center). This study explores the role of this organization in disseminating hostile and manipulative narratives on social media, with a particular focus on how these narratives influence voter decisions and reinforce social polarization in the context of the European Parliament elections. The research employed qualitative content analysis to examine the 105 Megafon videos with the highest advertising costs during the campaign period, identifying the target audience, key messages, as well as the linguistic and visual tools employed. The results show that most videos rely on demonization and fearmongering, often presenting distorted information. Conducted focus group studies revealed that perceptions of Megafon content are highly polarized along political lines. Based on representative public opinion polls, Megafon influencers and the brand itself are not widely recognized by the general public, but they do have visibility among certain social groups. Meanwhile, nearly all Facebook users encounter their content. Additionally, most voters are unaware that this content is paid political advertising. Although respondents often question the credibility of Megafon videos, their persistent presence contributes to social polarization and influences political discourse. The Megafon model is easily adaptable and poses a significant risk to democratic public discourse, as it effectively distorts the information environment for voters on social media.