Media Confidential

Peter Geoghegan on getting SLAPP’d: ‘It had a huge chilling effect’

The wealthy are using lawsuits to silence critics. Why does the government seem so reluctant to tackle them?

May 28, 2026
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On this week’s Media Confidential Alan and Lionel talk to Peter Geoghegan, journalist, broadcaster and founder of Democracy for Sale.

The three discuss the problem of SLAPPs, lawsuits used by the wealthy to silence and intimidate critics. They talk about the chilling effect these lawsuits can have have on democracy, and how they discourage journalists from pursuing stories in the public interest. Why has the government made such slow progress in tackling them?

They’ll discuss what it is like as a small media outlet or single journalist to receive the financial and emotional weight of a SLAPP and the lobbying actions of media lawyers.

The three will also discuss Democracy for Sale’s investigation into Labour Together and ask about the thinktank's impact on UK politics. Read the investigation here.