Bojana Paneva is a Senior Associate at Qoku & Partners based in Skopje, North Macedonia.
With nearly ten years of experience as an attorney, Bojana focuses her practice on dispute resolution. She is experienced in domestic and international commercial and investment arbitration and regularly represents clients before courts in complex litigation proceedings.
Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2026 Sessions
Reporting Under Legal Pressure: Protecting Investigative Journalists from Legal Risks and Reprisals
This session examines the legal risks faced by investigative journalists when reporting on matters of public interest, including defamation claims, privacy and data-protection issues, protection of journalistic sources, confidentiality, and strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). It will explore how legal proceedings, threats of litigation, and other forms of legal pressure can be used not only to seek legitimate remedies but also to intimidate journalists, create financial and psychological burdens, and discourage further reporting.
The session will provide a practical overview of the legal framework protecting freedom of expression and investigative journalism, with particular attention to the European Convention on Human Rights and relevant European Court of Human Rights case law. It will also consider the Macedonian legal context and the role of lawyers in preventing and responding to legal threats against journalists.
Through practical examples and case studies, participants will discuss how journalists and their legal advisers can assess risks before publication, protect confidential sources, respond to legal threats, and distinguish legitimate legal claims from abusive litigation. The session aims to strengthen practical legal protection for investigative journalism while maintaining the necessary balance between freedom of expression, individual rights, and the public interest.