Szabadság

Szabadság ("Freedom") is a Hungarian-language local daily newspaper published six times a week in Cluj-Napoca, Romania since December 23, 1989, in around 7,000-8,000 copies having approximately 40,000 readers. The online version of the newspaper (www.szabadsag.ro) is viewed daily by several thousand readers from all around the world. On March 15, 1995, "Szabadság" became the first daily newspaper from Romania and Hungary with its own web page. It was the first in Romania to use the offset technology and to be published in full color.

In Communist Romania the newspaper's name was "Igazság" ("Truth"); it was published from 20 May 1945 to 22 December 1989; it was renamed "Szabadság" after the Revolution.

With a total staff of 30, including 20 journalists, the daily is distributed in 5 counties in central Transylvania, inhabited by an important Hungarian population.

The newspaper is privately owned by the Minerva Cultural Association from Cluj, an NGO led by the main employees of "Szabadság". The Hungarian-language daily is financially independent, and does not receive any government grants. Its costs are covered by sales (around 60%) and advertising (40%). Less than 1% of its annual turnover comes from public foundations from Hungary and Romania.

"Szabadság" is a general newspaper dealing with all types of news from the local to the regional, as well as national and international. It also has opinion columns, editorials, political, cultural, economical, IT&C, automobile, EU, sports, opera, lifestyle, student, animal protection, health, music, science sections, as well as two supplements for children.

"Szabadság" is the number one daily newspaper in the Cluj area, even though it is published in Hungarian. There are several Romanian-language dailies published in the city, but none of them has so many copies.

External links

* [http://www.szabadsag.ro/ Szabadság Online edition]