Lesson 2.1: Moral Panic & Media Narratives

A striking symbol of this policy’s reach is the so-called ‘books in foil’ rule, requiring shops to wrap LGBTQ+-inclusive books in plastic and label them as ‘unsuitable for minors’. Enforcement has been inconsistent, but the rule remains a powerful cultural signal. Government-aligned tabloids and broadcasters have promoted these measures with headlines warning of ‘rainbow propaganda in schools,’ encouraging suspicion toward teachers, libraries, and NGOs. As the RESIST Mapping report shows (pp. 167–172) topics such as ‘Rainbow propaganda in our schools’ and ‘Soros’ gender lobby targets children’ became recurring headlines across Hungarian media, reinforcing the sense of national siege.

Media campaigns further depict LGBTIQ+ rights and gender studies as foreign ideological tools promoted by Brussels, the United Nations, or ‘George Soros-funded NGOs,’ positioning Hungary as the moral guardian of Europe, with the media reinforcing a siege mentality: Hungary is under attack, and traditional families, Hungarian sovereignty, and Christianity must be defended at all costs.

In the Hungarian context, the media does not simply report on ‘anti-gender’ politics - it produces and sustains moral panic. Through emotional framing, repetitive messaging, and binary narratives (e.g. ‘child innocence’ vs. ‘gender ideology’), pro-government outlets blur the line between information and propaganda. The result is a deeply polarised public discourse in which LGBTIQ+ visibility is rendered dangerous, and dissent is treated as treasonous. This example illustrates how moral panic functions as a communication strategy of the state.