Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
From The U.S. and beyond:
Recently on Story Board:
- How to know when it’s time for a refresh: Google made me do it. My website refresh has been in the back of my mind for months. I had a few changes I wanted to make, but nothing seemed urgent and the project fell off my radar…
Spot a story you think we should include in next week’s Off the Wire? Email the link to editor@thestoryboard.ca or tweet us at @storyboard_ca.
by Sue Horner
Google made me do it. 
My website refresh has been in the back of my mind for months. I had a few changes I wanted to make, but nothing seemed urgent and the project fell off my radar.
I finally set things in motion after a few reminders about Google’s view of sites that don’t have “secure HTTP.” Basically, HTTPS in the web address signals secure communication and web browsing, and Google has started to rank sites higher if they have it (and, we suspect, lower if they don’t).
Now that my site is refreshed, I interviewed my web manager, Joan Donogh (the Divi Diva), to find out more about when to redesign a website and what features are in or out:
What are some signs that it’s time for people/companies to update their websites?
In the case of websites built on WordPress, a big sign is the release of WordPress 5.0. This was a major update, so some older themes are not compatible and some things stop working. Other warning signs are if your website is not mobile friendly, slow to load, or you have noticed a reduction in traffic or leads from your website (if competitors have more current sites, for instance). Having a Flash intro would definitely be a sign that you need to update your website!
How often should people consider a full website redesign?
Read the rest of this post »
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
From The U.S. and beyond:
Recently on Story Board:
Spot a story you think we should include in next week’s Off the Wire? Email the link to editor@thestoryboard.ca or tweet us at @storyboard_ca.
Applications are now open for the 2019 Portenier Human Rights Bursary competition. Freelance journalists and independent documentary makers with projects that focus on human rights abuses can apply for the bursary, which provides the winner with $3000 to attend hostile environment training.
The bursary is offered by the Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma, which also offers a number of training bursaries each year through the Forum Freelance Fund.
The application deadline is June 12th. Winners will be notified by July 31st and must choose a course from the list of approved course providers by September 30th. Applicants may be of any nationality. Approved courses are currently available in Canada, the USA, Britain, Afghanistan and sometimes elsewhere.
For more information on how to apply, see the Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma’s website.
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
From The U.S. and beyond:
Recently on Story Board:
Spot a story you think we should include in next week’s Off the Wire? Email the link to editor@thestoryboard.ca or tweet us at @storyboard_ca.
by Meagan Gillmore
I never intended to host a daily podcast. But in March 2019, I unexpectedly traded in a notebook for a microphone and took on the role of guest-host for The Pulse, a daily show on AMI-audio that focuses on current affairs related to disability and accessibility.
Before, I thought print journalists began podcasting because of disruptions in legacy media.
Now, I think the desire to create a community with a story is what often fuels such a move – and I’ve realized print and audio have more in common than I thought.
My stint in podcasting was brief – the show went on hiatus a few weeks after I stepped in as a temporary host – but here are a few of the lessons I learned along the way.
Know what you need to learn
Liz Beatty, a magazine writer and former communications specialist, says she doesn’t view audio work and writing as very different from each other.
“I don’t think it’s two separate worlds,” she says.
But the jump from print to audio was still an adjustment.
Read the rest of this post »
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
From The U.S. and beyond:
Recently on Story Board:
- Webinar — Declutter Your Data: Breakfast Lesson webinar if you’re on the west coast!) called Declutter Your Digital Data on Wednesday, May 22nd at 12 noon ET (9am PT) and author Angela Crocker will teach you how to declutter your digital life…
Spot a story you think we should include in next week’s Off the Wire? Email the link to editor@thestoryboard.ca or tweet us at @storyboard_ca.
These days, we all have digital DNA filled with an unwieldy amount of data. Photographs, social media accounts, blog posts, and old news reports fill mobile phones, tablets, hard drives, and the cloud. This results in the digital clutter problem, a largely invisible issue hidden inside sleek mobile phones and invisible data storage.
Join us for a Lunch and Learn webinar (or a Breakfast Lesson webinar if you’re on the west coast!) called Declutter Your Digital Data on Wednesday, May 22nd at 12 noon ET (9am PT) and author Angela Crocker will teach you how to declutter your digital life.
The session will be based on on Angela’s three year personal digital cleanse. Strategies to declutter data, organize information, and sort out accessibility combined with methods to keep the digital “paper tiger” under control will give participants actionable steps to put into practice immediately.
Angela Crocker has been described as a pioneer of ethical social media, a business savvy digital goddess, and an information organizing superhero. She’s also been called the Ann Landers of the online world, making sense of the sometimes confusing digital domain. She’s the author of five books including the 2018 release Declutter Your Data: Take Charge of Data and Organize Your Digital Life. Learn more at AngelaCrocker.com and connect with Angela on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.
To register for the webinar “Declutter Your Digital Data” click on this link. If you’re a CMG Freelance member, enter the code “CMG-FL” when you are asked for an affiliation code. If you are not a member, you can enter the code “SBoard” to register to participate in this webinar for free.
Live viewings of our webinars are open to everyone. We’ll be making a recorded version available to members of CMG Freelance after the event. For information about the price and benefits of CMG Freelance membership please check out the CMG Freelance website.
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
From The U.S. and beyond:
Recently on Story Board:
- Toronto freelancer social night April 30: Toronto-area freelancers, CMG Freelance president Don Genova is in your area this week and is hoping you’ll join him for a casual get-together this coming Tuesday night, April 30 at The Wellington…
- The Born Freelancer on (Not) Having Your Ideas Stolen: If you’re a professional freelancer, you quickly come to the realization that your ideas are the very foundations of your creative existence, the begetters of all income. And so you must learn to treat them with a greater degree of protectiveness than you might wish to do otherwise…
- CAJ conference opening night freelance mixer in Winnipeg May 2: Freelancers, if you’re going to be in Winnipeg during the CAJ’s annual conference next month, you’re invited to a casual opening night mixer sponsored by CMG Freelance…
Spot a story you think we should include in next week’s Off the Wire? Email the link to editor@thestoryboard.ca or tweet us at @storyboard_ca.
Toronto-area freelancers, CMG Freelance president Don Genova is in your area this week and is hoping you’ll join him for a casual get-together this coming Tuesday night, April 30 at The Wellington (520 Wellington St. West) from 6 to 8 p.m.
It’s a chance to meet other freelancers for a bit of camaraderie, networking, and some drinks and snacks. All freelancers are welcome, CMG Freelance members and non-members alike.
The get together is happening in ‘The Front Room” of The Wellington, the reservation is under “Don – Canadian Media Guild.” Please drop Don a line at freelance@cmg.ca to let him know if you can make it. First round of drinks and snacks are on him!
