In episode 5 of the Centre for Freedom of the Media podcast, presented by Dr Gemma Horton, we're taking a deep dive into Slapps - strategic lawsuits against public participation.

There's been a lot of attention on these legal cases in recent years, and activists in the world of media and press freedom say they are having a chilling effect on freedom of speech.

Slapps are costly lawsuits brought by wealthy individuals or organisations - or by governments - to stop journalists from investigating stories of corruption or other wrongdoing. The idea is they intimidate journalists or impede their work to such an extent and with such heavy legal costs, that they halt their reporting.

They are used in several countries but the UK's defamation laws mean it is particularly appealing to file a case here, and activists want the new government to take urgent steps to address them.

We talk to three Slapps experts working in the UK and abroad: 

This is a podcast from The Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM), an interdisciplinary research centre hosted in the Department of Journalism Studies at the University of Sheffield CFOM aims to inform and advise governments, policymakers and stakeholders internationally on threats to media freedom, in order to bring about positive changes to laws, policy and practice and to uphold standards of journalism safety.

You can contact CFOM on [email protected] or on X at @CFOMsheff

Produced by Anna Jones

In episode four of the CFOM podcast we mark World Press Freedom Day by discussing the threats to media freedom across Europe. World Press Freedom Day was established 31 years ago and is held every year on 3 May to shine a spotlight on the challenges journalists face and the importance of a free press in society.   

For this episode, we collaborated with the Balkan Free Media Initiative (BFMI) , a group of media and advocacy experts drawing attention to the decline of media freedom in Southeast Europe. We spoke to board members Peter Horrocks CBE, former director of BBC World Service, and Antoinette Nikolova about their work.

In December 2023, BFMI published their report entitled Defunding Disinformation in the Balkans.

Peter and Antoinette told us how major European brands are funding and legitimising media outlets that disseminate disinformation in the Balkans. They also spoke about the impact disinformation has on public trust in journalism and what this might mean in a big election year, alongside how we can tackle disinformation.

Find out more about the work of the BFMI here: https://www.balkanfreemedia.org/

In episode three of the CFOM podcast we talk to Jessica White, lead researcher at Freedom House, which researches pressing threats to democracy and human rights around the world and supports activists and advocates pursuing democratic change. 

Earlier this year, Freedom House published a report entitled Freedom in the World 2024: The Mounting Damage of Flawed Elections and Armed Conflict. 

Jessica, one of the report authors, told us about the mounting financial and political pressures news organisations are facing across Europe, and the steps they are taking to respond to a climate of growing public distrust. 

You can find out more about Freedom House and read the report here

Hosted by Gemma Horton

Produced by Anna Jones

In episode two of the CFOM podcast, we talk to Lucy Westcott,

Lucy told us how her background in journalism - as a writer for outlets including Newsweek and The Atlantic and as a UN correspondent - exposed her to the vital work of the CPJ.

She explained how the definition of "threats" has evolved to encompass the "devastating" impact of online harassment, and the need for all journalists to take preventative steps to protect themselves from digital attacks.

Lucy also tells us what a watershed moment the Covid pandemic was for journalists, with many having to report a threat on their own doorsteps for the first, and how the CPJ stepped in to offer support.

You can find out more about the work of the CPJ here.

Hosted by Gemma Horton

Produced by Anna Jones

In this first episode of the CFOM podcast, we talk to Prof Jackie Harrison, Professor of Public Communication, UNESCO Chair on Media Freedom, Journalism Safety and the Issue of Impunity and chair and founder of CFOM.

Prof Harrison tell us about the work of the group and why it is so important to speak up about issues of media freedom.

We also speak to Gill Phillips, the incoming co-author of McNae's Essential Law for Journalism, the definitive legal text for practicing journalists.

She talks through her career as a legal advisor at the BBC and the Guardian and discusses some of the biggest threats facing journalism today.

Hosted by Gemma Horton

Produced by Anna Jones