Stability, Predictability and Long-Term Thinking

The Swiss publishing company Ringier entered the Hungarian market over 30 years ago, in 1993, with the establishment of a subsidiary. The Chief Executive Officer at Ringier Hungary, Tibor Kovács tells Diplomacy&Trade about the common values that Swiss-based companies operating in Hungary share and represent to all their stakeholders; the firm pillars Ringier Hungary is built on; and the use of the latest technologies assisting but not replacing journalists.

“I have had the privilege of representing the Swiss media company Ringier in various positions for decades now, and I have seen that not only Ringier, but also other similarly influential Swiss-based multinational companies operating in Hungary are guided by a set of values based on stability, predictability and long-term thinking. These are not only the cornerstones of our internal operations, but also convey a clear message to our partners, customers and all our stakeholders: they can count on us because we operate reliably and transparently, we remain committed to smaller markets, thus contributing significantly to the development of the sectors concerned, their attractiveness as labor markets, and their professional representation,” the CEO points out. He stresses that they also place great emphasis on innovation, because they are convinced that continuous development and the application of state-of-the-art solutions are essential for competitiveness and social value creation. “We actively seek partnerships – we believe in shared thinking and that through cooperation, we can achieve even greater impact in both business and social matters,” he adds.

Stable pillars
Ringier Hungary Ltd. is one of Hungary's largest media companies with print and online publications. As to what new types of business pillars the company is building on top of its core media activities, Tibor Kovács explains that in addition to its classic media business, Ringier's global pillars include the digital classifieds business – also known as the marketplaces division – the development and sale of technology solutions relevant to the media, and, as a separate line of business, sports media and sports media-related services and technology developments. “Our Hungarian operations are also based on these same pillars, as in addition to well-known media brands that have been stable for decades, such as Blikk, Kiskegyed, Glamour magazine and other publications, the Ringier portfolio also includes the profession.hu job portal and the sportal.hu digital platform. Within the media business, we are naturally diversifying our offering and seeking new types of revenue streams that fit naturally and relevantly with media content. These are typically event-based, e-commerce and technological solutions, but we are also focusing on the introduction of subscription-based operating models,” he adds.

Competitiveness and knowledge sharing
In recent years, Ringier Hungary has also sought to be an active shaper of business partnerships that contribute to the development of competitiveness and knowledge sharing across industries. “Perhaps, the best example of this is the launch of the TECHXPO conference and festival in 2024, which we started with the intention of creating a tradition. Our goal was to lay the foundations for a series of events that not only shed light on trends from the perspective of a single profession, but also took into account many aspects of industry, media, education, industry, healthcare and public administration. I believe that as a media company, we are in an excellent position to play the role of mediator, connector and amplifier in such collaborations,” the CEO states.

Backed by the Swiss mother company
Ringier's activities in Hungary are backed by a large international media company founded in Switzerland. Tibor Kovács is of the view that the backing of such a company with a history of over 190 years not only means capital security, but also access to the latest technologies, international knowledge sharing and proven operating models. “Speaking of technology, over the past year or two, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence-based tools has made the advantages of our international background and size tangible. The knowledge, resources, and development potential present in the group can be converted into a competitive advantage.”

Use of AI with human supervision
The influx of artificial intelligence tools into the media is already a reality, and this trend is only expected to grow in the future. Regarding the principles Ringier uses when employing AI tools, how they assist journalists in their work and whether they could replace human workforce in the profession in the future, the CEO underlines that they use artificial intelligence tools in a responsible and transparent manner. “For us, AI is a system that supports journalists – and the entire media industry – by speeding up background research, taking some of the burden of repetitive, time-consuming background tasks off our shoulders, helping with content editing and enabling us to better serve the needs of our readers. One of our core principles is that AI-generated content always undergoes editorial review, and we clearly communicate to readers when they encounter content created with AI tools. We believe that the creative and value-adding elements of journalism are irreplaceable, and AI serves to support them. At the same time, it plays an important role in enabling us to share as efficiently as possible the journalistic products, news and results that have already been produced in one of our editorial offices, as it would be unnecessary to recreate them with additional resources.”

Responsibility, the essence of journalism
“In this context, regarding the issue referred to more and more frequently – ‘will there still be a need for journalists in the future?’ –, I believe that amid the abundance of content and information, the role of interpretation will become more important. Journalists are not only being asked to convey news, but also select, organize and interpret it – they bring a human perspective to the world of digital automation. While technology is capable of producing content, the essence of journalism is responsibility. I believe that this responsibility is particularly important for the functioning of a democratic society,” Tibor Kovács concludes.