The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) has published 12 new entries in its anti-SLAPP legal guide, which informs news organizations on how to deal with frivolous, malicious lawsuits that seek to silence or discourage free speech.
The entries were researched and crafted by Missouri School of Journalism Associate Professor Jared Schroeder and his team of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students, with the help of a $5,000 grant from the Society of Professional Journalists and support from the School of Journalism’s Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI).
Only 38 states and the District of Columbia currently have laws protecting journalists and others from SLAPP lawsuits (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation), which attempt to weaponize the court system to intimidate individuals or organizations into silence with expensive, time-consuming defamation claims. The new entries cover the states that lack such laws, offering insights drawn from relevant cases into potential legal protections or avenues of defense — though the team also completed updated entries for all 50 states, which will ultimately be published as part of a new “Public Policy and Journalism” section on RJI’s website.
