MFWA legal support fund will help curb nuisance suits against journalists — Anyenini

Celebrated journalist and private legal practitioner, Lawyer Sampson Lardi Anyenini, has welcomed the Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) decision to establish a legal support fund for journalists, saying the initiative could help reduce nuisance suits against media practitioners.

According to him, some individuals, groups and organisations affected by journalistic work resort to Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) as a means of intimidating or gagging journalists from carrying out legitimate professional duties.

“You have done your work and done it well, but they simply want to shut the media from discussing the matter and so they take up such suits, try to get an injunction to stop you from continuing to deal with the subject,” he said.

Mr Anyenini made the remarks on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, during the opening session of a five-day workshop for 60 journalists selected from across the northern sector of Ghana.

The workshop, organised by the MFWA, is aimed at strengthening the understanding of journalists, editors and media managers on legal frameworks, media rights and redress mechanisms to promote safer journalism.

It was at the event that the MFWA announced the establishment of a Legal Fund to support Ghanaian journalists facing legal challenges in the course of their work.

The fund forms part of the Africa Media Integrity and Resilience Programme (AMIRP), led by the MFWA and funded by the European Union.

According to the MFWA, the initiative is intended to reduce the legal vulnerabilities of journalists and strengthen media freedom by providing timely legal assistance and capacity building.

Speaking to OTEC News on the sidelines of the workshop, Mr Anyenini, who was one of the main facilitators, commended the MFWA and its partners for introducing the initiative.

He also urged journalists to conduct their work ethically, familiarise themselves with the constitutional framework governing journalism and seek legal support whenever necessary.