The Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM), an inter-disciplinary research centre hosted in the School of Information, Journalism, and Communication at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, has launched “SLAPPsTraining.org”, a dedicated online resource focused on training journalists on how to recognise and respond to Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).
According to CFOM, SLAPPs have become a predominant issue in recent years, with concerns being raised from numerous organisations around the world that they are being used to silence critical and public interest reporting.
It said: “SLAPPs are generally considered to be legal actions that are brought against an individual with the intention of threatening, harassing, or intimidating their target to prevent free expression on matters of public interest reporting.”
Noting that there have been attempts by policymakers and researchers to define SLAPPs, the training platform includes a module that explores the different definitions of SLAPPs in various legal instruments and systems and provides advice on how they are typically launched and how journalists can spot them.
The training website currently features information about SLAPPs from England and Wales, New Zealand, Canada and the Council of Europe, as well as how they are working to tackle SLAPPs.
It also discusses how journalists can give themselves the best protection against SLAPPs and where they can turn to for help if they think that they have been subjected to SLAPP actions.
CFOM said the SLAPPs Training has been put together by academics, media organisations, and members of civil society to provide an online platform dedicated to providing training on SLAPPs, while the website was developed by CFOM as part of its focus on providing a global outreach on issues of media freedom, journalism safety, editorial standards and impunity.
It explained that as part of the development of the online resource, the organization has spoken to journalists who have been subjected to SLAPPs themselves, providing real-life advice on best practice journalism, what a journalist should look out for if they think they are subject to a SLAPP, and what they can do if they receive a legal letter.
CFOM said: “The impact of receiving a SLAPP can be scary and the intention of those bringing SLAPP actions is usually to try and invoke this feeling that then leads to the non-publication or removal of the story. We have seen that SLAPPs can be launched against anyone conducting investigations that an individual wishes to silence. Targets have included journalists, campaigners, and student journalists.”
It, therefore, documents case studies of journalists and journalism students who have been subject to SLAPPs, detailing their experiences. These are published on the website along with references and links to case studies on the United Kingdom Anti-SLAPP Coalition website.
The website also contains multiple resources that document the threats that SLAPPs are posing to journalism across the world, including links to reports, academic works, podcast episodes, articles, and other resources, aimed at providing further context and information on SLAPPs.
CFOM seeks to inform and advise governments, policy-makers, and stakeholders internationally on countering threats to media freedom, and to bring about positive changes to laws, policy, and practice, and raise standards of journalism safety worldwide.
It also hosts the Journalism Safety Research Network (JSRN), a global network of over 300 researchers in academia, journalism, and civil society organisations that brings together researchers with a common interest, concern or engagement with the safety of journalists, the issue of impunity, and the promotion of free and independent journalism.
