Oteli ste medije novinarstvo ne damo (“You took over the media, we won’t give up journalism”) read a banner at a 2019 protest in Zagreb organised by the Croatian Journalists’ Association against the wave of legal actions brought against reporters across Croatia. A poll co-ordinated by the journalists’ association identified over 1,000 legal actions or threats brought against media outlets and journalists by politicians, businesses (including the Croatian public broadcaster) and public figures. Talking to Deutche Welle, Robert Mihaljevic, editor-in-chief of the regional newspaper Podravski said, "The local courts are teamed with political strongmen trying to silence every critical voice."
Take a moment and let that number sink in. Over one thousand threats of lengthy and costly court proceedings hanging over journalists’ heads, in a country of just four million people.
While this number is shocking, it is emblematic of a growing trend across Europe; the use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation – sometimes known as SLAPPs – to threaten and silence critical reporting. These can take many forms, abusing laws such as defamation, privacy or media regulation to restrict critical coverage.
