Investigative journalists are facing severe challenges and threats, and their vital connections with whistleblowers are under increasing pressure, researchers have said.
Legal intimidation is having a "chilling effect" and those engaged in crime and security journalism are encountering extreme risks.
Experts have discussed their significant concerns about the perils many journalists face in their commitment to uncovering truth, from pervasive state surveillance to targeted prosecution and even espionage operations by hostile states, during a special event.
At the Law and Society Association event held in Chicago, the founding members of the Economic Crime and Corporate Compliance collaborative research network (CRN41), featuring Diane Ring (Boston College) and Costantino Grasso (University of Exeter), organized several sessions focused on these critical issues.
Workshops covered the indispensable role investigative journalism plays in safeguarding democracy and ensuring robust accountability, and how reporters serve as a crucial, often frontline, mechanism for unmasking corruption, unethical practices, and potential wrongdoing, particularly by powerful entities that might otherwise operate in secrecy.
Researchers discussed the calculated abuse of legal processes through Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), which are specifically designed to intimidate, exhaust financial resources, and ultimately silence their reporting.
The overarching aim of CRN41 is...
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