The day brings together publishers to highlight the growing use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation to intimidate journalists and suppress reporting in the public interest, and to urge the Government to deliver robust anti-SLAPP legislation, says the News Media Association.
Publishers are marking the Day of Action through op-eds and letters to MPs, underlining the particular vulnerability of local and regional newsrooms to costly and time-consuming legal intimidation.
The News Media Association and the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition are calling on the Government to include comprehensive, cross-cutting anti-SLAPP measures in the King’s Speech in May.
Owen Meredith, chief executive of the News Media Association, said: “SLAPPs thrive in silence, using the threat of costly and intimidating legal action to shut down journalism in the public interest.
“This SLAPPs Day of Action is a timely opportunity to shine a light on the growing misuse of the legal system and its chilling effect on journalists and newsrooms, particularly at a local level.
“As the Government sets out its priorities in the King’s Speech, there is a clear and urgent need for comprehensive anti-SLAPP legislation to properly safeguard public interest journalism and uphold freedom of expression.”
David Higgerson, chief content officer at Reach plc, said: "SLAPPs are not about seeking justice - they are about silencing journalism. When legal threats are used as a weapon, they chill reporting and deprive the public of information they have a right to know."
James Mitchinson, editor at The Yorkshire Post, said: “Journalists should not have to weigh the public interest against the threat of financial ruin.
“Strong, effective anti-SLAPP protections are essential if scrutiny journalism is to survive.”
Jon Gripton, group editorial director, Tindle Newspapers, said: “Freedom of expression and accountable journalism are cornerstones of our democracy. Tackling SLAPPs is about protecting those principles and ensuring they endure.”
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