Good and Bad Journalists – HUN-REN research network hires PR company ran by Lőrinc Mészáros’s wife

The leadership of the Hungarian Research Network (HUN-REN) has entrusted Andrea Várkonyi’s company with communication tasks around their renewal project. Lőrinc Mészáros’ wife’s Whitedog Media Ltd. accepted the assignment for a net amount of 5 million forints for a two-month period. The task included the creation of a press list that categorized journalists according to their “positive” and “negative attidues”.

“The positive and negative attitude refers to which media outlets have successfully received and conveyed the messages, and which ones require further action,” the HUN-REN Center responded to our inquiry when asked why such categorization of media workers was necessary.

We submitted a public information request to HUN-REN, the Hungarian Research Network, to find out which companies they have contracted for communication and marketing tasks since November 2023.

The data revealed that the research network’s leadership signed a contract with Whitedog Media Ltd., owned by the wife of Viktor Orbán’s top oligarch, Lőrinc Mészáros, for communication and change management tasks related to the organization’s renewal.

According to HUN-REN, Andrea Várkonyi’s company was chosen because it submitted the most favorable offer.

When we asked which other market actors were invited to submit price quotes, they stated that they had ensured the submission of three written quotes. However, they did not disclose the names of the other two bidders besides Várkonyi’s company.

Whitedog Media Ltd. undertook the assignment for a net fee of 5.1 million forints, which included media analysis, communication strategy, preparation of press materials, availability for crisis communication, project management, and risk assessment. The contract was concluded for a fixed term of two months, covering the period from early February 2025 to April 1, 2025.

The PR firm is not the only company related to Mészáros that HUN-REN has entrusted with public funds: earlier we reported that the center issued a public procurement tender for vehicle rental and fleet management services, which was jointly won by Mészáros M1 Ltd. and Mészáros M1 Szerviz Ltd., car rental companies both affiliated with the oligarch.

 Media lists for 99,000 forints

The annex to the contract includes a detailed breakdown of the tasks undertaken by Whitedog Ltd. and their respective costs. According to the document, the company charged over 900,000 forints for writing press releases and background materials. The “situation assessment” based on the received materials also cost over 900,000 forints and included the preparation of five in-depth interviews.

Balázs Gulyás, President of the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Network, giving a speech (Source: HUN-REN Facebook)

Whitedog also committed to compiling a press list – a list of media professionals with a focus on science, education, domestic affairs, the economy, and investigative journalism. The journalists were categorized by their “positive or negative attitude”. All this, for the low, low price of 99,000 forints.

HUN-REN paid Várkonyi’s company 752,000 forints for project management and 532,000 forints for developing a communication strategy. Whitedog Ltd. also agreed to provide crisis communication availability, for which they charged the research center 726,000 forints.

Whitedog’s revenues soar

Andrea Várkonyi founded the media agency Whitedog Ltd. in 2020 and currently holds a 75% ownership stake in the company. The remaining 25% is owned by Judit Gergely, who—like Várkonyi—is also a managing director of the business.

Since its inception in 2020, the company has performed exceptionally well.

In its first year, it generated a net revenue of 127 million forints. One year later, this figure soared to 2 billion. By 2022, the company’s turnover exceeded 4 billion, and by 2023, this more than doubled again to reach 8.9 billion forints. Notably, Whitedog has been profitable from its very birth: after raking in 52.8 million forints in 2020, profits rose to 388 million in 2021, 850 million in 2022, and more than 1 billion forints in 2023.

Net sales of Whitedog Media Ltd. between 2020 and 2023

According to a report by 444, the owners recently took over 1 billion forints in dividends from the company. Andrea Várkonyi received 821 million, and Judit Gergely 273 million forints.