Southampton Test MP Satvir Kaur and Southampton Itchen MP Darren Paffey have written to culture secretary Lisa Nandy, raising concerns that strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) are putting vital journalism at risk.
The Southern Daily Echo, named in the letter, has been outspoken about the impact of SLAPPs, which are designed to intimidate and financially exhaust reporters to suppress stories before they reach the public.
Ben Fishwick, editor of the Southern Daily Echo, said: “SLAPPs are a dangerous threat facing local newspapers today.
“They allow those with deep pockets to try to intimidate newsrooms into silence, in the hope of draining resources and deterring vital public interest reporting.
“When journalists are forced to think about fending off spurious legal claims instead of getting on with the job, it’s not just the press that suffers – it’s the public’s right to know.”
In their letter to Ms Nandy, Ms Kaur and Mr Paffey called for action to protect journalists from these “bullying legal tactics”.
They wrote: “We are concerned that this important work is being put at risk by bullying legal tactics (SLAPPs) that are used to try and silence responsible reporting and prevent important public interest matters from coming into the public domain.
“We would now both welcome an update on the steps that your department is currently taking or planning to take to address SLAPPs and protect journalists from vexatious and groundless legal threats.”
The MPs warned that SLAPPs “can place significant strain on newsroom resources, and in some cases prevent the publication of reporting undertaken in the public interest”.
They said that smaller newsrooms, already operating under tight financial constraints, are particularly vulnerable.
While SLAPPs are more widely associated with international or national outlets, local newsrooms are increasingly facing similar threats from individuals or organisations looking to shield themselves from scrutiny, the MPs said.
The letter and comments from the Daily Echo form part of a wider national campaign calling for anti-SLAPP protections to be included in the next King’s Speech.
Supporters say new laws would help prevent wealthy individuals and organisations from misusing the legal system to suppress journalism, silence critics, and undermine free expression.
Recent high-profile SLAPP cases have involved foreign oligarchs, powerful businesses, and public figures using UK courts to discourage journalists from publishing or even investigating stories.
The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition, a group of freedom of expression organisations, previously said: “Every story, social media post, blog, report or published piece of work removed by a target who cannot afford to mount a defence, cannot afford to turn away from their work to prepare for going to court, and cannot afford to endure the complexity and unpredictability of the British justice system, is something that leaves us all worse off.”
This coalition of groups – including Index on Censorship, the Foreign Policy Centre, and Climate Legal Defense – has called for dedicated anti-SLAPP measures to ensure that public interest reporting is not silenced through abuse of the legal system.