The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lucy Frazer)
I am pleased to inform the House that HM Government have published an update to the UK’s national action plan for the safety of journalists. The original plan was published in 2021 with the intention of ensuring that journalists operating in the UK can do so free from abuse, violence and threats of harm. The Government are committed to a free and open media. In order to guarantee this, journalists must be able to carry out their vital roles free from threats and violence. Threats to journalists’ safety are not just threats to individuals—they lead to journalists leaving the profession, and to self-censorship of those that remain. The Government continue to act in this area to ensure robust challenge to those in power and to maintain a strong democracy.
Significant progress has been made since the action plan’s publication with successful delivery across all areas. Key outcomes include the appointment of a lead on crimes against journalists by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the launch of an online safety toolkit for journalists, and the introduction of a free e-learning course on journalism safety and resilience by the National Council for the Training of Journalists.
The plan was always intended to be a dynamic document that was updated to reflect the evolving nature of journalists’ safety issues. The journalist safety study, published alongside the updated plan, demonstrates the ongoing prevalence of abuse faced by journalists as well as new challenges. As our understanding of the scale of the problem increases, as well as how to effectively keep journalists safe, now is the time to build on progress made to date. This is why I am introducing new commitments designed to tackle behaviour that risks journalists.
The new commitments focus on the same five key areas which underpin the original plan: increasing our understanding of the problem; enhancing the criminal justice system response in tackling crimes against journalists; supporting journalists and their employers to build the resources they need to protect personal safety; and helping online platforms to tackle the wider issue of online abuse; and, improving public recognition of the value of journalists. Government, law enforcement agencies, and industry have made commitments, building on existing momentum while reflecting the new evidence base. These include a commitment to explore a new online tool to enable data gathering on safety issues; the provision of support for journalists from employers and online platforms (Meta and X); and action from police to tackle crimes against journalists.
One of the new threats the refreshed plan sets out to tackle is abuse of the legal system known as strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). SLAPPs pose a significant risk to the free press by ultimately seeking to silence journalists and curtail reporting on issues of public interest. The refreshed plan recognises the creation of the new SLAPPs taskforce, which launched in September this year.
The National Committee for the Safety of Journalists will continue to track progress on delivery of these commitments and overall objectives of the plan. It will review them regularly and update the plan in future if and when appropriate.
A copy of the refreshed plan will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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