For Journalists

FOI requests, defamation, source protection, contempt of court, reporting restrictions, and public-interest reporting.

Reviewed 2026-05-22

Common Problems

FOI request rejected

Defamation threat / pre-action letter received

Reporting restriction order

Source protection / RIPA 2000

ICO complaint about your reporting

Letter Templates

Freedom of Information Request

Statutory request for information from a UK public authority under the FOIA 2000.

Formal Complaint to the ICO

Letter accompanying an ICO complaint about a data controller's failure to comply with UK GDPR.

Legal Tools & Calculators

Defamation Limitation Calculator

Calculate the 1-year limitation deadline for a defamation or malicious falsehood claim under s.4A of the Limitation Act 1980, applying the single publication rule under the Defamation Act 2013.

When to Get Legal Advice

Defamation, contempt of court, and reporting restrictions all carry serious legal risks. Most national publications have in-house legal — freelancers should ensure they have professional indemnity insurance and access to NUJ legal support.