About this resource

This resource was created in 2024 and updated in 2026 to help journalists and publishers navigate and understand protections against SLAPP lawsuits in all 50 states and Washington D.C., including how the courts have interpreted SLAPP cases. SLAPP suits are strategic lawsuits against public participation. When filed against journalists, they are often meant to discourage or punish certain news coverage.

This resource provides a simple overview of the legal protections that each state offers from SLAPP cases. Anti-SLAPP protections, however, vary widely from state to state, with 10 states not having any protections at all. In these cases, the entries focus on legislative efforts to enact anti-SLAPP laws, as well as how cases have been decided in the state.

To build this resource, RJI’s research team documented each state’s current anti-SLAPP law and searched every state’s legislature for bills related to SLAPP lawsuits. The team identified and recorded any efforts to enact new bills or amend laws that were already in existence. In addition, any bills that would have addressed SLAPP suits, but failed, were also documented. This project is partnered with the SLAPP Back Initiative that is organized by First Amendment Watch at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University.

About the research team

This project was conducted with financial support from the Reynolds Journalism Institute and initially created through a grant from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). Jared Schroeder, Lee Hills Chair in Free-Press Studies at the Missouri School of Journalism, organized the project with support from Živilė Raškauskiatė, Skye Lucas, Sara George, and Ian McKenzie, who gathered, wrote, and organized the entries. If you have questions about this project, email jcschroeder@missouri.edu.

About the Reynolds Journalism Institute

The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) was launched in 2004 with a grant of $31 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. In conjunction with the centennial celebration of the Missouri School of Journalism, RJI’s headquarters were opened in September 2008.

Our 50,000 square-foot facility on the University of Missouri campus has state-of-the-art resources to test and implement new technologies, experiment with new approaches to producing, designing and delivering news, information and advertising – and to host conferences, training and workshops for journalists