Silence for Sale: When the law is weaponised to silence journalism
We explore how powerful people use SLAPP lawsuits to silence journalists who expose corruption. Hear experts explain the impact and how the law can fight back.
We talk about Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs) in this episode. SLAPPs are lawsuits to stop journalists from investigating stories of corruption or other wrongdoing.
We speak to Fiona O’Brien, UK director of Reporters Without Borders and Susan Coughtrie, director of the Foreign Policy Centre think tank and co-chair of the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition about how these lawsuits are often brought by wealthy individuals to intimidate journalists to stop their work and the impact that this has on them personally and on public interest reporting.
We also speak to Dr. Peter Coe, Associate Professor in Law at the University of Birmingham and a member of the Council of Europe Expert Committee on SLAPPs about how the law can try to tackle SLAPPs.
Credits
- Host: Dr Gemma Horton (Impact Fellow for Centre for Freedom of the Media at the University of Sheffield)
- Guest: Fiona O'Brien (UK Director of Reporters Without Borders)
- Guest: Susan Coughtrie (Executive Directive of the Foreign Policy Centre)
- Guest: Dr Peter Coe (Associate Professor of Law at the University of Birmingham)
- Podcast Producer: Anna Jones (University Teacher at the University of Sheffield)
