Where to turn if you think you are facing a SLAPP

If a case looks less about correcting the record and more about stopping you from publishing or continuing your reporting, you should not try to manage it alone. 

Useful avenues in New Zealand include:

• Your institution: University legal services, journalism schools, and student media advisers can often provide initial guidance or referrals.
• Media‑law practitioners: Lawyers who regularly act in defamation and media cases can quickly assess whether a claim looks abusive and which procedural tools might help
• Professional and student associations: Journalism bodies and unions sometimes offer legal support schemes or can at least help you document and escalate patterns of legal intimidation.
• Legal aid providers: If you may qualify, speak to a lawyer who can advise on the prospects of aid for defamation.
• Civil‑society organisations focused on free expression, which can assist individuals facing legal or institutional pressure over what they have published.

Even where the law does not yet recognise SLAPPs as a distinct category, early, informed responses can blunt their impact. The more clearly you can show that your reporting was careful, thoughtfully recorded, and focused on a genuine public interest – including sensible limits on what you keep about high‑risk sources – the harder it is for a plaintiff to sustain a tactical case against you.