ABSW scholar takes a deep dive into indemnity for science writers

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“Imagine you write and publish an article about a complex scientific topic after months of meticulous research and interviews. It’s well-received, but then a company featured in the article claims you misrepresented their data and threatens to sue for defamation.”

Thus opens Nichola Ibe’s article, published on 8 July 2025 on Journo Resources.

Such a situation is, sadly, a common risk for science writers. That’s where indemnity insurance can help. But such a policy can be pricy—especially for freelancers.

Does a science writer need insurance or not? What should you pay attention to if you are planning to have one? These are some of the questions ABSW members have raised over the years. 

Thus, it was a perfect topic to be researched at Journo Resources with a fellowship supported by the ABSW. 

The resulting report can be read in full here:

“We know that science writing comes with lots of practical considerations, especially for freelancers, so this collaboration is all about exactly that—giving science writers and journalists the tools they need to make informed decisions as they progress throughout their careers,” says Jem Collins, founder and director of Journo Resources and a former Student Representative at ABSW Board.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with the ABSW again on this year’s fellowship—at Journo Resources, we believe that almost every journalist will end up covering science and tech stories at some point in their organisation so it’s vital for them to have the right tools and knowledge, something the ABSW is an expert at.” 

It was a win-win for all parties. The Journo Resources Fellowship Programme is committed to supporting people in taking their first steps into the journalism industry. And the ABSW fosters the participation of science writers coming from underrepresented or marginalised backgrounds. Thus, the idea of sponsoring a diversity scholarship made perfect sense. 

“The Association of British Science Writers always tries hard to enable people from underrepresented backgrounds to enter the profession. It therefore made total sense for us to support the Journo Resources Fellowship,” says Andy Extance, ABSW chair.

The programme sees fellows receive six months of 1-2-1 mentoring and bespoke skills sessions, a paid commission which they work on—in Ibe’s case, it was indemnity insurance—with a professional editor, and customised support from the Journo Resources team. 

The Journo Resources Fellowship was launched in 2020 and has “helped 50 journalists to take their first steps into journalism, putting £17,000 back into the pockets of journalists and delivering over 2,100 minutes of free training sessions”, says Collins. Fellows say that they have gained confidence, and most of them have moved on to paid work in the media after the fellowship.

If you are interested in joining the programme, applications for the 2025/26 fellowship open later this summer, so keep an eye on the Journo Resources website.