Hungarian Heritage Review, 1991 (20. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
1991-09-01 / 9. szám
Pope John Paul II recently spent five days in the Republic of Hungary and, wherever he went, he was ceremoniously greeted not only by governmental officials and the clergy, but also welcomed by thousands of Hungarians who were eager for his prayers, blessings, and words. His visit may have gotten a lot of coverage in the local press, the European press, and the Hungarian press in the United States, but not in the American press. When Pope John Paul II visited Poland, for example, it was "big news" in the American press, but when he visited Hungary it wasn't. Except for a few paragraphs here and there, and some photos, press reports of his visit to Hungary were conspicuous by their absence. The question this apparent lack of American press-interest poses is....why? Wasn't the pope's visit to Hungary just as important, if not more so, than his visit to Poland or any other country? Something is wrong somewhere! And, what this "something" appears to be, is that those governing the Republic of Hungary haven't got the slightest idea of the importance of favorable publicity and how to get it. Especially, in America, where such publicity counts a great deal. Another indication of indifference toward the value of good publicity is the way the press in Hungary, particularly those publications published in English for foreign consumption, are completely misinterpreting what is meant by a "free press." Here they are as the supposed "voices" of a fledgling, shaky, new form of government desperately in need of goodwill, good reputation, and economic support from the West in general, and from the United States in particular, while they undermine the fulfillment of these needs by publishing "garbage". To those guilty of this, the bad is "news", while the good is not! A third, and just as glaring example, of an incredible lack of attention paid to attracting favorable publicity in the American press, are the ongoing, non- stop visits to the United States of dignitaries and others too numerous to list who, instead of visiting Washington FIRST, hop-skip-and-jump all over the country appearing before Hungarian gatherings. While these appearances may be written up in the Hungarian press, when it comes to generating meaningful publicity in the American press, it is a waste of time. The dollars-andcents they7re in search of in America will not be found in Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, or wherever, but Washington. One personal meeting with President Bush, for example, would trigger a million denar's worth of favorable publicity, and the kind of publicity that will attract the attention of those who control the nation's purse-strings. After all, the new Republic of Hungary can't possibly make ends meet until it can become economically self-sufficient and stable without a huge infusion of foreign aid. And, the kind of money Hungary needs can only be found in Washington. And, the key with which to "open the safe" is good advertising, public relations, and publicity. For this is the nameof-the-game in America! 12 •HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1991
