Legal Protection for Investigative Reporting
Reporters Shield is a membership program that defends investigative reporting from legal threats meant to silence critical voices.
Because without investigative reporting, the public doesn’t get the truth.
Welcome to Reporters Shield
Reporters Shield is an innovative solution to the increasing burden of bogus lawsuits against investigative journalism. These lawsuits, often referred to as SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation) are designed to intimidate and financially burden newsrooms. A Reporters Shield membership gives journalists the confidence and legal support to do the brave reporting they want to do.
“SLAPPs are filed to financially exhaust journalists and media. That’s why financial support is very important. Reporters Shield means journalists won’t have to worry if they will be able to pay lawyers, court costs, and other expenses.”
“Climate Home News is a small news organisation that is engaged in a fast-evolving area of accountability journalism: action to tackle climate change. We joined Reporters Shield because we need to be sure we can pursue our work seeking to hold public figures and businesses to their green promises and commitments – and show when those are not being met – without incurring unacceptably high legal risk. For us, this programme offers a cost-effective way to manage the burden of legal threats.”
“Reporter’s Shield is an essential tool for investigative journalism, offering critical support that enables reporters to navigate complex legal landscapes across various jurisdictions. By equipping journalists with the knowledge and resources necessary to tackle challenging stories, they empower the pursuit of truth while safeguarding the integrity of the reporting process.”
“We work really hard to ensure that our journalism is correct and will hold up in court but, in the countries where we work, corruption in the courts means you can’t always count on that to deter a lawsuit. Also, SLAPP suits against human rights defenders in those countries have been increasing, and many of the wrongdoers identified in our work are based in high risk jurisdictions. We know our time will come. Reporters Shield has been a big relief to us as well as our partners and supporters. We put the logo on every page of our site as a warning to anyone who wants to take us on that it will not be as easy.”
Questions? Reach out to info@reporters-shield.org
