Speak Up SA Webinar: What to Do When Faced with a Legal Threat: A Guide for Journalists and Media Houses

Platform: Restream (Online)

Date: 29 October 2026

Time: 16:00 pm to 17:30 pm

There is a growing use of SLAPP suits, protection orders and other legal threats against journalists and media organisations by political and business actors in South Africa and across the SADC region.

Independent and mainstream media organisations, as well as individual journalists, have increasingly faced legal action aimed at preventing or restricting reporting on powerful political and business actors. In some cases, journalists and media organisations have had to approach the courts to defend their right to report and publish matters in the public interest.

These legal threats can have significant consequences beyond the courtroom. They can create fear and uncertainty among journalists, place considerable financial pressure on media organisations and individuals, and consume valuable time and resources that could otherwise be dedicated to journalism. For journalists, the experience of facing legal threats, protection orders or SLAPP suits can also have a significant impact on their mental and emotional well-being.

The webinar will highlight the mental, emotional and financial pressures experienced by journalists and media organisations that have faced protection orders, SLAPP suits and other forms of legal intimidation. It will provide a platform for journalists to share their experiences, discuss the broader impact of these legal threats on journalism and freedom of expression, and explore ways of supporting journalists and media organisations facing such pressures.

The discussion will focus on practical experience and lessons learned, including:

· Strategies for managing legal threats: How journalists and media organisations can respond to threats of protection orders, SLAPP suits and other forms of legal action.

· Personal safety: Practical measures journalists can take to protect their physical safety while facing legal threats, SLAPP suits or protection orders.

· Maintaining journalistic independence and composure: How journalists can continue to report independently while navigating legal pressure and intimidation.

· Building and maintaining support structures: The importance of legal, personal and institutional support for journalists facing legal threats from newsrooms and society at large.

· Legal recourse: The importance of the courts in reviewing the abuse of protection orders and SLAPP suits against journalists and media houses.

The webinar will generate practical strategies for journalists and media organisations on how to respond when faced with threats of protection orders, SLAPP suits and other legal action from political and business actors. It will also explore ways in which media organisations can develop and strengthen supportive structures to assist journalists mental and financial well-being.