Abstract
<jats:p>László was not merely a civil servant, but also a professional writer. His memoirs suggest that he was familiar with the journalistic subcultures of several European capitals, which helped him formulate his own writing style and worldview. László’s pre-1914 journalistic activities and self-image were influenced above all by reportage, a genre that was just emerging in the Viennese journalism of the turn of the century. And though László’s journalistic approach initially reflected an Austro-Hungarian—that is, imperial—perspective, his writing would eventually be imbued with the nationalist spirit of Hungary’s press culture. During the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, he served as a volunteer war correspondent for several Budapest newspapers.</jats:p>