When your business is media relations or advertising, you are in the public eye like no others. If you distribute information to the public, you are at risk of lawsuits and monetary damages or settlements resulting from errors you make. A media liability insurance policy from Evans, Pires & Leonard will provide coverage for such professional errors and omissions.

Media liability insurance, also called communications liability insurance, is available to individuals and companies that provide advice, instructions, public relations, research, advertising, information, opinions, and other written or spoken materials to the public via print, electronic or broadcast means. That includes but isn’t limited to Internet, newspapers, newsletters, film, e-mail, and TV and radio. It can cover public officials, celebrities, publishers and musicians, as well. We also have marketing, advertising and communications liability insurance that targets that specific sector of the media, and some of our insurer partners offer programs for newspaper companies and advertising agencies.

While libel, slander and intellectual property infringement claims may be covered under a general liability insurance policy, problems ensuing from errors made in the rendering of your professional services most likely aren’t. These errors can include defamation of a person or product, faulty instructions or advice, transmission of computer viruses or other malicious code, and more. Your error or omission could injure a client or a third party and result in costly losses and legal defense fees.

Not all media liability policies are the same, but some of the common coverages include unfair competition using intellectual property, breach of confidentiality, violations of comparative advertising statutes, negligence in media content, invasion of privacy, defamation, malicious code, professional errors, and misappropriation or misrepresentation of another’s image or voice. Legal defense costs are covered, sometimes outside of policy limits, and some insurers offer coverage for claims worldwide. Punitive damages may also be insured under some policies in some states.