Fire Tip Sheets
FIRE Tip Sheets convey expert guidance to help media outlets and freelance reporters arrange viable contracts for public-interest investigations. The Tip Sheets below show the contract language by which an outlet might protect a freelancer from liability.
The Details: Contract language
Tip Sheets on the liability fine print
Access the Tip Sheets by topic, below.
Red Light Greenlight: Reading a contract's liability terms
Overview: What to sign, what not to sign: Watching the indemnification signals
Basic Phrasing: Standard protective language
The magic words: What indemnification looks like in writing
The Next Level: Optimum ("augmented") protection
Bonus clause: To avoid having to contribute to a claim defense, request this language
If you have a personal policy: "Augmented" indemnification for the insured
Scenario 1: Indemnified for a lawsuit, but with your own insurance as back-up
If you don’t have a policy: Augmented indemnification for the un-insured
Scenario 2: Indemnified for a lawsuit, without your own media insurance
Mutual Indemnification: Equal promises: What could go wrong?
Beware of simply agreeing to protect one another—the devil’s in the legalese
Term limits: How long does an outlet’s protection last?
The story ran two years ago: What if someone sues now?