Media liability insurance has been available for decades, protecting authors and businesses that publish their work in print, on the air, and on the Internet, because freedom of speech and of the press doesn’t guarantee freedom from lawsuits and business interruptions. And where new modes of communication create new risks, new kinds of insurance are sure to develop.

There is a new breed of media moguls, monetizing their online material on social media, such as Instagram, and developing cadres of followers who hunger for fresh, free content. The authors receive advertising revenue, which can be substantial.