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Beazley rolls out new media liability coverage for US media SMEs

Beazley has announced the launch of a new occurrence media liability policy that covers many risks faced by small to medium-sized media outlets and publishers in the US.
Beazley’s new policy provides professional indemnity cover written on an occurrence basis.
In addition, the policy offers optional coverage for technology errors and omissions, information security and privacy, and bodily injury or property damage.

Specialist insurer Beazley has announced the launch of a new occurrence media liability policy that covers many risks faced by small to medium-sized media outlets and publishers in the US.

“The media landscape has changed considerably in the last decade,” Beazley said. “As traditional publishing and media groups have moved increasingly online, freelancers who solely publish online, including bloggers, vloggers and social influencers, are growing in number and reach. As the public looks to a wide range of sources for content, the media sector has become more crowded and awareness of the risks associated with publishing varies widely.”

Beazley’s new policy provides professional indemnity cover written on an occurrence basis. The coverage focuses on defamation, libel and slander, and infringement of copyright and trademark. It also includes a range of other content-related exposures. The policy also includes unintentional breach of contract with a client and mitigation costs (sub-limited) to minimize claims escalation.

In addition, the policy offers optional coverage for technology errors and omissions, information security and privacy, and bodily injury or property damage arising out of the publication of content.

The US media sector is undergoing substantial changes, with the launch of new channels for publishing and broadcasting and the growing reach of bloggers, vloggers and social influencers, Freelance publishers and start-up media ventures ought to be aware that they are as liable as traditional, established media groups for the content and materials they publish or share. They face a range of exposures including defamation, intellectual property and privacy, and should consider the precautions and cover they need to protect themselves against potential claims.

- Angela Weaver, global head of media liability for Beazley.

The new policy covers various media professionals including publishers, broadcasters, authors and journalists, bloggers, vloggers, social influencers and content creators, and advertising producers and advertising agencies. Limits of up to $5 million are available on a worldwide basis.

About Beazley

Beazley plc is the parent company of specialist insurance businesses with operations in Europe, the US, Canada, Latin America, Asia and Australia. Beazley manages six Lloyd’s syndicates and, in 2017, underwrote gross premiums worldwide of $2,343.8 million. All Lloyd’s syndicates are rated A by A.M. Best. In the US, our underwriters focus on writing specialist insurance products in the admitted market, backed by Beazley Insurance Company, Inc., an admitted property/casualty carrier in all 50 states; and surplus lines risks, backed by the Beazley syndicates at Lloyd’s. Beazley Insurance Company, Inc. is rated A by A.M. Best.

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