# Insurance for publishers, newsrooms and freelance journalists in Germany

> An article that names a name, a picture whose rights were never cleared, a book that has to be recalled because of a single passage. In publishing the expensive losses are caused by words. This page shows how to protect yourself and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-publisher.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## Will insurance pay the lawyers if we are hit with an interim injunction?

Media liability or professional indemnity that includes personality rights normally pays to defend unjustified claims, including lawyers and court fees, and pays justified damages. The cost of complying with the injunction yourself, such as blacking out a print run, is only covered if expressly included. Legal expenses insurance usually does not help here, because copyright and press law are often excluded.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No insurance is required by law, but under German press law publisher and author remain responsible for what they publish
- **Biggest risk:** Injunctions, published corrections (Gegendarstellung) and damages over personality rights, copyright and trade marks
- **Basic cover from:** about €200 a year for a freelance journalist's media liability
- **Statutory accident insurer:** usually the VBG, or the BG ETEM for publishers with their own print works; this Berufsgenossenschaft (statutory accident insurer) is compulsory from the first employee
- **Often forgotten:** Recalling or blacking out an entire print run after an interim injunction
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 58.11 Verlegen von Büchern, 58.12 Verlegen von Zeitungen, 58.13 Verlegen von Zeitschriften, 58.19 Sonstiges Verlagswesen, ohne Software, 60.20 Fernsehveranstalter und Verbreitung von Videoinhalten, 60.31 Nachrichtenagenturen

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Personality rights:** Reporting on suspicions, naming people, a photo from someone's private life: those affected obtain injunctions and demand monetary compensation.
- **Pictures and quotes:** A press photo from the wrong source, a quote that runs too long, a map without a licence: picture agencies and rights holders send warning letters as a matter of routine.
- **Wrong facts:** An error in a guide or specialist book can cost readers money, especially on tax, legal or health topics.
- **Stock in the warehouse:** Books in storage burn easily and do not like water. One incident often hits the entire spring list.
- **Editorial systems:** An attack on the editorial system, subscriber database or website halts the issue and affects the data of many readers.
- **Unpaid invoices:** Booksellers and wholesalers pay late or not at all. A single insolvency can shake a small publisher.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 4, Fire and water 3, Theft 2, Cyber 3, Downtime 2, Health 2

## The insurance you need

- **Professional indemnity** (Essential): Media liability covers claims under personality, copyright, trade mark and unfair competition law, and from incorrect information. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Business liability** (Strongly advised): Covers injury and property damage in the newsroom and at readings, book fairs and events. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Strongly advised): Covers attacks on editorial systems, web shop and subscriber data, including data breach notifications and recovery. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Covers book stock, archive, equipment and furnishings against fire, escape of water and burglary. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Trade credit insurance** (Depends on the business): Protects against bad debts from booksellers and wholesalers if a major customer goes insolvent. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-trade-credit.php
- **Cargo insurance** (Depends on the business): For deliveries to the trade and to book fairs, when the goods are not insured by the logistics provider. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cargo-insurance.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): Legal expenses for employment and contract disputes; press and copyright law usually need a specialist add on. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php

## What it costs: example prices

What matters is circulation, subject matter and where you publish. Investigative reporting or guides on legal and financial topics cost more to insure than a children's book list.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional indemnity | Freelance journalist, financial and media losses up to €100,000 | about €200 to €500 a year |
| Professional indemnity | Small publisher up to €500,000 turnover, €250,000 limit | about €600 to €1,500 a year |
| Business contents | Book stock and office worth €100,000 | about €150 to €400 a year |
| Cyber insurance | Publisher with web shop and subscriber database, €250,000 limit | about €500 to €1,200 a year |
| Trade credit insurance | Receivables from booksellers and wholesalers, €1 million turnover | about €1,000 to €2,500 a year |

For comparison: A freelance journalist's media liability costs about as much a year as the fee for one longer newspaper feature.

_Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. The entry level professional indemnity figure is based on publicly quoted tariffs for media professions; the other values are guide figures from our own quoting work. We obtain the exact quote for you._

- [Finanzchef24: Vermögensschadenhaftpflicht für Werbe- und Medienberufe](https://www.finanzchef24.de/versicherung/werbeagentur)
- [Hiscox: Versicherung für Blogger und Medienschaffende](https://www.hiscox.de/geschaeftskunden/blogger-versicherung/)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Freelance** (Freelance journalists, authors, blogs with editorial standards): Professional indemnity, Business liability. Together: about €250 to €600 a year
- **Publisher** (Small or specialist publisher with a warehouse and up to ten staff): Professional indemnity, Business liability, Business contents, Cyber insurance. Together: about €1,300 to €3,200 a year
- **Media house** (Newspaper, magazine or publisher with a web shop and trade customers): Professional indemnity, Business liability, Business contents, Cyber insurance, Trade credit insurance, Cargo insurance. Together: about €3,500 to €9,000 a year

## The worst day in the newsroom

Six cases of the kind publishers really face, all on one Friday before going to press. Tap through and see who pays.

- 08:30: An interim injunction arrives: a businessman is fighting a report about him. Lawyers, court and monetary compensation. (€16,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 10:00: A picture agency demands a retrospective licence fee and damages for a photo in the online edition. (€2,400, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 12:45: The editorial system has been encrypted and the online edition is at a standstill. (€21,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 15:20: At a reading a visitor trips over a cable by the lectern. (€5,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 17:30: A large bookseller files for insolvency with three months of invoices unpaid. (€38,000, Paid by: Trade credit insurance)
- 23:10: The sprinklers in the warehouse go off and a whole print run is soaked. (€27,000, Paid by: Business contents)

**Damage so far:** €109,400

## Practical tips from your broker

- Have personality, copyright, trade mark and unfair competition law named expressly in your media liability, including online publication.
- Ask whether the policy pays for published corrections, retractions and blacking out or pulping a print run.
- Freelance authors and photographers should be included in your cover or show you their own policy, otherwise the claim ends up with you.
- Insure stock at production cost, not cover price, and report seasonal peaks.
- Guides on law, tax and health need a higher limit for readers' financial losses.
- Check the territorial scope: publication abroad and online often comes with different limits.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We find cover for sensitive subjects:** Not every insurer will cover reporting on suspicions or guides on financial topics. As a broker we approach several and show you the differences.
- **We know claims handling from the inside:** In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves. That helps when an interim injunction calls for quick decisions.
- **Business and personal together:** Media liability, warehouse, receivables and your own provision all run through us, with one phone number.
- **Family run since 1989:** Free for you; the insurer pays our commission. You speak to people who know your policy.

## FAQ

### Do I need liability insurance as a freelance journalist?

Not by law, but many publications pass the liability risk on to freelancers. Media liability or professional indemnity costs about €200 to €500 a year.

### Does legal expenses insurance help with press law disputes?

Usually not, because copyright, press and personality rights are excluded in many tariffs. Defending the claim is the job of media liability.

### Who is liable for errors in a specialist book?

Author and publisher can both be liable if readers suffer a loss because of incorrect information. Media liability covers this if such financial losses are included.

### Is our book stock insured?

Through contents insurance against fire, escape of water, storm and burglary. If a service provider stores it for you, clarify whose policy applies.

### Does the Künstlersozialkasse cover accidents for freelance journalists?

No. The Künstlersozialkasse, the social insurance fund for self employed artists and writers, pays part of your pension, health and long term care contributions. Accident and income protection you must arrange privately.

### What does insurance for a small publisher cost?

Media liability, public liability, warehouse and cyber usually come to €1,300 to €3,200 a year for a small publisher.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-publisher.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.