15 April 2026
Local news organisations across the UK are today taking part in a coordinated Day of Action against abusive legal threats known as SLAPPs, led by the News Media Association in partnership with the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition.
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.
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 NMA 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, NMA chief executive, 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.”
Notes to editors
- Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) are legal actions used to harass and intimidate those speaking out on matters of public interest.
- The Day of Action is coordinated by the News Media Association with the UK Anti‑SLAPP Coalition, a network of free‑expression, media freedom and civil society organisations.