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Journalist insurance
Journalist insurance: coverage for reporting, freelance work, and claims.
The short answer
Journalist insurance from CreatorSure is media liability for your reporting. It pays for your defense when someone says a story defamed them, invaded their privacy or used their work. It follows freelance work across outlets, and CreatorSure adds Fight Back for when someone steals your reporting.
A story that's true can still bring a lawsuit. Libel insurance for journalists pays to defend it.
Get a quoteWhat it covers
What journalist insurance covers
Two halves, one quote. Media liability for when someone comes after you. Fight Back for when you need to go after them.
- Defamation and libel claims over your reporting
- Privacy and false light claims
- Copyright claims over photos, quotes and documents
- Claims over freelance work for many outlets
- Fight Back when your reporting is republished without permission
CreatorSure will place a policy that covers the way you work. Coverage depends on your policy terms.
The risks
Defamation and other claims journalists face
- Defamation. The subject of a story says it's false.
- Investigations. Naming people and companies draws the biggest claims.
- Sources and documents. Leaked material and the privacy claims that follow.
- Photos and quotes. Images and words you didn't own.
- Your own channels. Newsletters, posts and videos where no editor checked first.
Journalist insurance
Coverage for freelance vs staff work
Staff reporters are usually covered by their employer's media policy for work done on the job. Freelancers often aren't, and many outlets ask freelancers to carry their own. Freelance journalist insurance covers your work across every outlet and on your own channels. If you do both, CreatorSure will place a policy that covers the freelance side.
Fight Back
Fight Back for stolen or misused reporting
Most insurance waits for you to get sued. Fight Back helps pay for takedowns, demand letters and a lawyer to go after people who take your work. It's for theft you find after your policy starts.
Photos lifted
Your news photos used without license or credit.
Impersonation
Fake accounts posing as you to sources or readers.
False claims about you
Lies that cost you assignments.
Someone ripping off your work?
Proof of insurance
Proof of insurance for outlets and clients
Outlets, publishers and corporate clients often ask freelancers for proof of coverage. Once you're covered, CreatorSure sends a certificate of insurance to anyone who needs it.
General liability
General liability gaps for journalists
General liability, or GL, is the policy lots of small businesses buy. One part of it, Coverage B, is for personal and advertising injury. For an ordinary business, like a plumber, that part typically covers defamation claims.
Journalism is publishing, so that part is usually limited or excluded for you. This is called the media exclusion, and GL doesn't address claims over your content the way media liability does.
Media liability insurance for journalists is built for claims over your reporting. Keep GL for physical accidents (CreatorSure covers general liability too and will place it alongside your media liability), and add media liability for your content.
Cost
Journalist insurance cost and quoting
There's no flat price, and we won't guess at one here. Your journalist insurance cost depends on the kind of reporting you do (investigations differ from features), how many outlets you write for, your revenue, the limits outlets ask for, and your claims history.
CreatorSure builds the quote around you, so you're not paying for extras you don't need. See what moves the price, then request a quote for a real number.
FAQ
Journalist insurance FAQ
Do journalists need insurance?
Freelancers especially. If you report on real people or companies, media liability covers claims over your stories. Many outlets also ask freelancers for proof of coverage.
How much does journalist insurance cost?
It depends on what you cover, how much you publish, your revenue and the limits you need. CreatorSure tailors a quote to your work. Request one to get your number.
Is libel insurance for journalists the same as media liability?
Libel is one part of it. Media liability also covers privacy, copyright and trademark claims over your work.
Does it cover my newsletter and social posts too?
Yes. Tell us where you publish and CreatorSure will place a policy that covers all of it.
Who we cover
More creator insurance
Get a quote
Get a quote. Keep making it. We've got your back.
- 1
Tell us about you
Fill out the quote form with a few details about what you do.
- 2
We build your custom quote
We put it together around the coverage you actually want.
- 3
Pick your coverage
We walk you through your options in plain English. You decide. No pressure.
Not sure what you need? Tell us what you make. A real person reads every request and gets back to you.
Coverage depends on your policy's terms, conditions and exclusions.