Reformi-studio is a small but powerful alternative media outlet in Finland concentrating in investigative journalism and whistleblowing activities.

We started our journey in April 2019 and have been since the beginning subject to fierce government and legacy media retaliation actions in order to shut us down.

Democracy, at its core, thrives on dissent, the free exchange of ideas, and active participation. Governments are supposed to safeguard and foster the conditions necessary for public debate.

Increasingly, governments and powerful actors engage in so-called lawfare as a means of silencing the messenger and suppress critical reporting. Lawfare involves the use of legal tools to achieve political or ideological goals. This includes filing frivolous lawsuits, exploiting vague or overly broad laws, and using legal processes to drain the resources and morale of targeted individuals or organisations.

These tactics create a chilling effect on civil society and the press, as they are used to control public participation and “legally” suffocate critical oversight.

Not only is it used to harass the messengers, but it is also a way of delegitimising and defaming them in the eyes of the public.