As part of Media Literacy Days, an event dedicated to strengthening the resilience of the media community against legal pressures on journalists focusing on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) was held today at the premises of the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services (AAVMS).
A central part of the event was the presentation of the Comparative Analysis on Addressing SLAPP in EU Countries and the Western Balkan Region Compared to the Republic of North Macedonia, prepared by Zharko Aleksov and Zharko Hadji-Zafirov. The analysis highlights serious gaps in national regulations and judicial practice from the lack of clear procedural mechanisms for the early dismissal of abusive lawsuits, to insufficient protection of journalists from financial and psychological pressure. The authors recommended a set of legal and institutional measures that would enable quicker court responses and better prevention of SLAPP cases.
The event “Building Resilience: T-AIM Academy for Journalists – How to Deal with SLAPP Lawsuits” was opened by the president of AJM, Mladen Chadikovski, who emphasized that the fight against SLAPP is a key part of efforts to improve the safety and independence of journalists. In the introductory remarks, Leona Kicheec from the Ministry of Justice reflected on the importance of the SLAPP issue and stressed the Ministry’s readiness for dialogue with the media community and the expert public regarding future reforms.
Dragan Sekulovski, Executive Director of AJM, also spoke about the situation and trends related to SLAPP lawsuits, noting that the number of cases with SLAPP elements is rising, often driven by powerful political and economic actors. He stressed that the comparative analysis should serve as a practical roadmap for reforms from alignment with European standards and the new SLAPP Directive, to changes in national laws, improvement of judicial practice, and establishing mechanisms for legal and psychological support for journalists. Sekulovski emphasized that without a systemic approach and coordination among institutions, media organizations, and international partners, SLAPP will continue to undermine freedom of expression.
Ricardo Gutiérrez, Secretary General of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), spoke about European trends and the measures taken by EU institutions, emphasizing that solidarity and a coordinated approach by journalists’ organizations are essential. He noted that the activities of AJM’s Training Academy for Journalists significantly contribute to strengthening the capacities of journalists and media workers to deal with SLAPP.
The event concluded that reducing and preventing SLAPP lawsuits requires continuous inter-institutional cooperation, substantial legal improvements, and practical support mechanisms for journalists facing legal pressures. The media community, together with civil society and state institutions, must work towards building a more resilient society in which critical thinking is protected and the media can freely fulfill their democratic role.
AJM remains committed to supporting journalists and promoting policies that guarantee freedom of expression and a safe media environment for all media workers.
This publication was produced within the project “Training – Academy for Journalists and Media Workers, T-AJM,” funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM), in partnership with the Initiative for European Perspective (IEP) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ).