The launch of the Lawfare Against Journalism Project at the 20th International Journalism Festival
On 16 April 2026, researchers, journalists, and media scholars gathered in Perugia, Italy, during the 20th edition of the International Journalism Festival, for the event “Lawfare database reveal.” Held at the Hotel Priori Secret Garden, the session marked the public introduction of our project, the Lawfare Against Journalism, an international interdisciplinary research initiative, which is building the first systematic database of lawfare cases against journalists worldwide — bringing computational social science methods to bear on a problem that has, until now, resisted systematic study. The session brought together an international team of researchers leading the project: Lucia Mesquita (Lusófona University, Portugal), Mathias Felipe de Lima Santos (University of New South Wales, Australia), and Stephen Wolgast (University of Kansas, USA). Also, the session was joined by Charlie Holt, who leads the European work of Global Climate Legal Defense (CliDef), an organization set up to support climate activists facing SLAPPs and other legal threats Participants were introduced to the project’s scope and methodology, followed by an open discussion inviting attendees to share examples, insights, and potential collaborations. Organized by the School of Journalism at the University of Kansas, the session concluded with an informal networking session over refreshments, celebrating the project’s official launch and encouraging continued engagement from the global journalism community. The lawfare database project is currently in its initial phase and welcomes contributions from journalists, researchers, and organizations interested in documenting and combating the judicialization of journalism.
Lawfare Against Journalism project participates in SLAPP Resilience Roundtable in São Paulo
The Lawfare Against Journalism project took part in the SLAPP Resilience Roundtable, held on 25 February 2026 at the Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing (ESPM) in São Paulo, Brazil. Organized by Global Climate Legal Defense (CliDef), the roundtable brought together an international network of researchers, legal experts, and civil society actors to discuss strategic responses to Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). The event marked an important opportunity for the Lawfare Against Journalism project to engage with ongoing global efforts to address legal intimidation and its broader implications. Discussions focused on the development of the SLAPP Resilience Fund, a new initiative aimed at strengthening long-term procedural protections, supporting legal strategies, and fostering accountability in cases of abusive litigation. Throughout the day-long roundtable, participants contributed their expertise to map how SLAPPs and related legal mechanisms are shaping legal systems and impacting fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and assembly. The open and collaborative format encouraged in-depth exchange on legal strategies, comparative perspectives, and the need for coordinated international responses. The participation of the Lawfare Against Journalism project contributed to the growing importance of understanding SLAPPs within a broader framework of lawfare against journalists and media organizations. The discussions also highlighted the need for comprehensive data and cross-sector collaboration — key priorities aligned with the project’s ongoing work. This engagement represents a further step toward positioning the project within international networks addressing legal threats to public-interest actors, while contributing to the development of strategies to counter the growing use of lawfare worldwide.
Lawfare Against Journalism project presented at the Future of Journalism Conference
The Lawfare Against Journalism project was presented at the Future of Journalism Conference, held on 11–12 September 2025 at Cardiff University. The conference, hosted by the School of Journalism, Media and Culture (JOMEC), is one of the most established academic events in journalism studies in Europe, bringing together scholars from across the globe. Lucia Mesquita presented the study “Silencing the Press: Lawfare as a Tool Against Press Freedom,” marking the first academic presentation of the Lawfare Against Journalism project. The presentation introduced the project’s conceptual framework, which examines how legal systems are increasingly used to constrain journalism. Moving beyond a narrow focus on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), the research advances the concept of systemic lawfare to capture a broader set of legal mechanisms — civil, criminal, and administrative — that are strategically mobilized to silence or deter journalistic work. The paper highlighted how these practices operate across different political contexts, from democratic to authoritarian settings, and contribute to what can be understood as a “judicialization of control.” By framing journalism as a form of social harm through legal narratives related to reputation, security, or morality, these mechanisms generate chilling effects that extend beyond individual cases. The presentation also outlined the project’s empirical approach, which combines media analysis, legal and policy document review, and interdisciplinary scholarship to map and understand the growing use of lawfare against journalists worldwide. This first academic presentation represents an important step in consolidating the project’s research agenda and engaging with the international scholarly community on the challenges facing press freedom today.