Accountability Journalism: CJID trains reporters on surviving legal backlash

As press freedom faces mounting pressure from legal and institutional threats, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has stepped up efforts to equip journalists with the tools to push back.

In a workshop held at the PREMIUM TIMES Lagos office on Wednesday 16 April, journalists, editors, and media executives gathered for a practical, solution-driven session on navigating anti-press laws and lawsuits designed to stifle accountability journalism.

The workshop featured keynote speeches by seasoned professionals, including the likes of Deputy Director of Journalism Programmme at the CJID, Busola Ajibola; the President of the International Press Institute (IPI), Musikilu Mojeed; Co-Founder at Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative, Solomon Okedara, and a Professor of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos, Ismail Ibrahim.

The event brought into sharp focus the growing use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs)—a tactic increasingly used to silence journalists and intimidate newsrooms into submission.

Through interactive sessions and expert-led panels, the workshop exposed the full weight of legal harassment faced by media professionals and offered strategies to counter them.

Juliana Francis, former crime editor at New Telegraph Newspaper who was one of the journalists in attendance, shared how she was served a N2 billion lawsuit over a report she published.

Another case cited was the ongoing N60 billion defamation suit against two northern journalists, Shu’aibu Mungadi and Tijjani Ramalan, filed by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.

According to a lawyer and digital rights, advocate, Solomon Okedara, these types of lawsuits are not necessarily filed to win but to exhaust the media financially and mentally.

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“SLAPPs are used to incite fear, drain journalists, render them stranded, embarrass and intimidate them and wear them out,” Mr Okedara said.

He unequivocally affirmed the goal of SLAPPs is to discourage accountability reporting through fear, not justice.

The lawyer further noted that many of these cases are designed to be lost in court but still succeed in their intention—to silence the journalist before the trial ever begins.

For Musikilu Mojeed, PREMIUM TIMES editor-in-chief and president of the International Press Institute (IPI), legal safety begins with operational discipline.

He urged journalists and media organisations to meet their corporate obligations and steer clear of practices that can expose them to legal attacks.

“Failure to do these can lead to vulnerability and the government can use it against you. The subjects of your story can capitalise on the gaps in your story to launch vicious lawsuits that can kill you. A single word can damage a brilliant story,” said Mr Mojeed.

His advice extended beyond compliance.

Mr Mojeed also encouraged reporters to correct mistakes, take down inaccurate reports when necessary, and avoid accepting business transactions meant for their organisations into personal accounts.

“Unethical business practices can make you an object of blackmail. It can weaken your ability to do good journalism. Journalists and media practitioners should not accept transactions meant for their company into personal accounts,” he warned.

While outlining how to avoid legal traps, Mr Mojeed made it clear that no newsroom is immune.

“No matter what you do, SLAPPs will come even when you do the right thing,” he cautioned.

“Accountability journalism is risky. You are the hunter. Don’t become the hunted.”

Beyond external threats, the workshop also turned its attention to the media’s internal challenges. Participants raised concerns over falling editorial standards, vendetta journalism disguised as public interest reporting, and the chase for viral content overshadowing accuracy and ethics.

The result, as one speaker noted, is a “hunter’s instinct” taking over the traditional watchdog role of journalism.

To guard against this decline, participants recommended setting up legal review desks inside newsrooms and ensuring legal officers are involved in story planning—not only when lawsuits strike.

This proactive legal integration, they argued, should be standard practice in today’s climate of repression.

The CJID also brought a gender lens to the conversation, highlighting the disproportionate risks female journalists face both offline and online.

CJID’s Deputy Director said attacks on women in media are often laced with personal and sexual undertones that go far beyond professional criticism.

“The scenario for women in the media is starkly different from that of men. For women, physical assault often escalates to sexual harassment,” Ms Ajibola said.

“There have been multiple instances where female journalists have been inappropriately touched by police officers, and in some cases, law enforcement has denied them access to basic sanitary products as a form of repression. This deliberate humiliation is part of a broader strategy to undermine their dignity and work.”

Online harassment, doxxing, and cyberbullying were also flagged as urgent concerns.

Participants noted that many newsrooms have no established protocols to respond to these threats. The solution, they agreed, lies in establishing confidential legal and mental health support systems tailored to the unique experiences of women in journalism.

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The call for newsrooms to incorporate gender safety into editorial risk planning was one of the standout recommendations of the event.

Tracking violations with gender-specific data and building internal safeguards for women were seen as crucial to making journalism safer and more inclusive.

For CJID, the goal is to help media workers survive repression with integrity, ethics, and courage intact.

“SLAPPs are being weaponised to silence investigative reporting, suppress accountability, and induce self-censorship through fear, fatigue, and financial drain,” said Ms Ajibola.

“Our focus is not only to expose repression but also to equip journalists with tools to survive it—with ethics, lawfulness, and courage intact.”

At the close of the workshop, CJID sent a message of thanks to participants for their engagement and contributions:

“We hope the workshop provided practical strategies and useful tools to help you navigate these complex issues and continue your important work while upholding press freedom and accountability.”