A Complete List of the Guides
FIRE Tip Sheets convey expert guidance to help media outlets and freelance reporters arrange viable contracts for public-interest investigations.
Visit the Tip Sheets relevant to your search by clicking on the section titles or pages below:
Part I: Personal Media Insurance for Freelancers
Liability policies for freelancers
Protecting yourself: Media insurance demystified
Should a freelancer buy her own "media liability" insurance? The answer may surprise you
Should I buy my own insurance?
You may not need personal insurance for the reason you think you do
Can You Afford a Policy? More on the cost of personal media insurance
$7,000 in premiums, $7,000 deductible—how it all adds up
Buying in: The alluring idea of pooled insurance
Can a “mutual risk pool” ever make insurance cheaper?
Insecure Assets: Won't an LLC protect me?
Can my LLC help shield me? (Depends on what it's made of)
Uncovered: What should I do if I can't afford personal insurance?
Rule #1: Report only for outlets that indemnify you, if you don't have insurance
The Back Up: If insured, should I insist that an outlet cover me too?
Rule #1a: Report only for outlets that indemnify you, even if you have insurance
Auxilliary Risk: Associated types of insurance for journalists
Perils beyond the words on the page
Part II: Securing an Outlet's Protection
Negotiating indemnification
On Your Side: When outlets do the right thing
With a good story, you may have more options than you think
The Basics: Getting it in writing
Ask and ask, and you may receive
FIRE Glossary: Legalese made easier
What the contract actually says
The Art of the Ask: Requesting protection from an outlet
How to talk about liability
Realistic Vows: Making a safe contractual promise
What a reporter should “warrant and represent”
Part III: The Details: Contract language
The liability fine print
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 against lawsuits, but with your own insurance as back-up
If you don’t have a policy: Augmented indemnification for the un-insured
Scenario 2: Indemnified against lawsuits, 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?
Part IV: From an Outlet's perspective
For publishers, broadcasters
Doing it Right: The Smart Move of Protecting Freelancers
Overview: Protecting freelancers isn't charitable or noble; it's savvy
Why an Outlet Should Indemnify freelancers: #1: the common cause
Fair treatment of the freelancer brings little-known benefits to the public
Why indemnify freelancers: #2: Business interests re-examined
If you think limiting liability for freelance stories makes "business sense," look a bit closer
Why protect freelancers: #3: Teamwork: the smart legal strategy
Divided and conquered: The risk of splitting your defense team against a defamation suit
Exploring the downside: Does adding a freelancer affect premiums?
OK, maybe everybody benefits, but isn't there a cost? (Guess again)
The other side: So why don't outlets indemnify freelancers?
If it's so smart to do so, how come some outlets won't agree to protect reporters?
Outlet’s choice: Choosing insurance to protect freelancers
The arcane world of insuring your freelancers, made plain