Kornel Klopfstein-Laszlo

Kornel Klopfstein-Laszlo (born Kornél László, 1986 or 1987) is a New York-based Hungarian journalist and human rights advocate. He is the co-founder of Print-it-Yourself, a citizen journalism project combating Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's control over the media. In 2020, Klopfstein joined Open Society Foundations, a grantmaking network founded by George Soros. He also serves as a board member of Edemokracia, a Central European think tank that promotes press freedom, access to information, and participatory democracy.
Pro-democracy advocacy
In response to the Orban government's state-sponsored disinformation campaigns in rural areas, Klopfstein co-founded Print-it-Yourself with fellow journalists. He has also been involved in protests against the authoritarian policies of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. In 2017, Klopfstein was one of the organizers of a demonstration in Budapest against a bill that threatened to shut down the Central European University.
As part of his broader advocacy efforts, he speaks and writes about democratic decline, and freedom of information, in Hungary. Klopfstein also advocates for sortition as a mechanism for selecting public officials through a random representative sample.
Career
Klopfstein started his career as a journalist. His writing has appeared in Hungarian media outlets, such as the HVG, Nepszava, Merce, Szombat, Kitekinto, and Stop.hu. Klopfstein later held research and advocacy fellow positions at GLOBSEC, the ERSTE Foundation, and the Budapest Institute. In 2020, he joined the Open Society Foundations.
Controversies
In 2011, California-based Hungarian far-right newspaper Kuruc.info published a racist and anti-Semitic article about Klopfstein's work. He was also targeted by conservative media outlets aligned with the Orban government. In January 2023, his citizen journalism project came under investigation by the Hungarian intelligence service and news outlets tied to the Prime Minister.
Personal life
Klopfstein is the great-grandson of the Hungarian-American trade union leader, Ernest Klopfstein. He is currently pursuing his doctoral studies at the BGHS Graduate School in History and Sociology. Klopfstein is a former semi-professional basketball player of the Hungarian Division II team Eldorado Basketball Club.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu