Oppressive freelance contracts add to the chill on journalism

The Trump administration’s attacks on the press — subpoenas and raids, threats from regulators, revocations of access, and meritless lawsuits and prosecutions — have led to an immeasurable chilling effect on journalism. The impact is heightened when these tactics target freelancers without resources or institutional backing. And with constant reports of journalists being laid off from their full-time jobs, there are a lot of freelancers out there. So why are many of the news publishers that contract with these freelancers compounding the chill by requiring them to agree to indemnification clauses? These provisions pass on risk to freelancers by essentially saying that if the outlet gets sued over something the freelancer wrote, the freelancer is on the hook for legal fees and judgments. S…