The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has joined forces with insurance company Isle of Man Assurance Limited to offer insurance overage for all media workers without restriction in any region of the world – including war zones.
According to IJF, many insurance companies refuse to insure news professionals working in dangerous areas, or do it at very heavy costs, which results in many reporters and freelancers, including fixers and technical staff, covering news in some of the world’s most dangerous countries working without an insurance policy.
The IFJ has now create the Insurance for Journalists website to sell policies to its affiliates’ members working on assignments anywhere in the world.
The insurance is designed to cover journalists, whether freelance or employed, including reporters, producers, photojournalists, stills photographers, camera crew, sound engineers and production staff at home and working on assignments all over the world.
Coverage is available for one week to a year.
It offers from $100,000 to $500,000 in accidental death and disablement cover with sickness, evacuation and repatriation with rates based on five zones. The five zones include extreme (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Russia, Syria and other countries); severe risk (including Algeria, Egypt, North Korea, Lebanon, Pakistan and other countries); high risk (including Iran, Israel, Kenya, Tunisia and Zimbabwe and others); medium risk (Cuba, Haiti, India, Jordan, Philippines, Mexico, Turkey and others) and low risk (including the U.S., UK, Australia and all nations not in other zones).
The IFJ 25th annual report on journalists and media staff killed (1990-2015) recorded at least 2297 media professionals killed in the last 25 years with highest death rates in Iraq (309), Philippines (146) and Mexico (120).
Weekly cover in even the extreme risk zone would cost $52 for $100,000 worth of cover. The same cover in the lowest risk zone would be $12.00.
The insurance policies have been developed with the assistance of a team of journalists led by Frank Giglio, a former news production manager with 42 years’ experience in the field for ABC and Fox News.
Every policy provides cover for accidental death and disablement plus emergency accident and sickness evacuation and repatriation from anywhere in the world including hostile regions to the policyholders’ country of residence when required.
The insurance team has contracted with National Global Solutions, a firm specializing in evacuation and emergency response in trouble spots and natural disaster sites around he globe.
“The majority of news organisations and media outlets rely on the freelance community to cover breaking news, documentaries and special events, it is essential that each individual or group are properly insured,” said Giglio.
All policies are provided by Isle of Man Assurance Limited (IOMA). IOMA is authorised and regulated by the the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority and in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Holders of the IFJ International Press Card get a 10 percent discount on any policy.
“While careful planning remains the most important part of newsgathering, no media worker should be excluded from access to a decent and global insurance covering all risks,” said Anthony Bellanger, general secretary of the IFJ.
Source: Insurance for Journalists
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