Hungary's prime minister says his country is willing to modify parts of its new media law _ which has been criticized as too restrictive _ but only if similar changes are made by the rest of the EU, according to AP. The new law greatly expands the nation's power to monitor and penalize private news outlets on broadly defined grounds. Media watchdogs and several European countries have criticized it. Prime Minister Viktor Orban says elements of the law can be found in similar regulations by other EU members, so it would be discriminatory to ask Hungary to make changes without the other countries also doing so. Orban's press office says he made the comment Thursday while meeting with EU press correspondents visiting Hungary, which took over the rotating EU presidency Jan. 1.
