Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Oct 10-15
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:
- Alberta Government Invests in the Province’s Magazine Industry [Magazines Canada]
- What it’s like to earn a living freelance writing in Canada [J-Source]
- Alberta announces $650,000 funding increase for province’s magazines [Canadian Magazines]
- ATIPs from A to Z [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- 4 key questions freelancers should ask about payment [Freelancers Union]
- How to increase your income when freelance rates plateau [The Freelancer]
- 6 Tips To Avoid Plagiarism In Freelance Writing [Freelance Writing Jobs]
- Eek! Don’t be afraid of these 13 freelance writing challenges [The Write Life]
Recently on Story Board:
- Montreal media mixer October 15: Montreal-area media workers, freelancers and students are invited to a free social night and networking event on Monday October 15 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Sun Life Building…
- Class Action Lawsuit a Big Step Toward Fairness for Factual & Reality TV Workers: The Canadian Media Guild / CWA Canada is welcoming a $35-million class action lawsuit filed by law firm Cavalluzzo on behalf of hundreds of reality and factual TV workers who have worked at Cineflix Canada, which produces such TV shows as Property Brothers and Mayday…
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.
Montreal media mixer October 15
Montreal-area media workers, freelancers and students are invited to a free social night and networking event on Monday October 15 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Sun Life Building, 7th Floor, Salon III (1155 Rue Metcalfe).
Come and join us for a free drink and snacks and get to know some of the other media workers in the city. The event is free to attend, but please register for your free ticket at this Eventbrite page.
This event is co-hosted by CWA Canada and the Montreal Newspaper Guild, whose members at the Montreal Gazette are currently negotiating with Postmedia for a new contract. They are fighting to keep fair working conditions for themselves and future generations of journalists in Montreal.
CWA Canada is the country’s only all media union, with 6,000 members at media companies and newspapers coast to coast. CWA Canada has a free membership for student, volunteer, precarious and emerging media workers through its Associate Member program. CWA Canada is the parent union of the Canadian Media Guild, which represents members at media outlets such as VICE Canada, CBC, and The Canadian Press, as well as freelancers through its voluntary membership program.
Class Action Lawsuit A Big Step Toward Fairness For Factual & Reality TV Workers
Claim says hundreds hired improperly, denied pay & benefits
TORONTO (Oct. 9, 2018) – The Canadian Media Guild / CWA Canada is welcoming a $35-million class action lawsuit filed by law firm Cavalluzzo on behalf of hundreds of reality and factual TV workers who have worked at Cineflix Canada, which produces such TV shows as Property Brothers and Mayday.
The legal action follows a five-year campaign by CMG and its parent union CWA Canada to bring fair working conditions to this part of the entertainment industry.
“Reality and factual TV are the wild west of the entertainment world,” said Lise Lareau, a co-ordinator of the CMG’s Fairness in Factual TV campaign. “People working in this area of production are cut out of labour laws. They don’t have the rights of other employees, and historically they’ve been left out of union contracts enjoyed by the rest of the entertainment industry.”
Most reality and factual TV production companies make their workers set up their own corporations or sign contracts saying they are “independent contractors” and then don’t provide overtime pay, vacation pay and paid holidays. The failure to pay these basic entitlements is the basis for the Cavalluzzo class action lawsuit.
The statement of claim for the suit is based on the experience of Anna Bourque, a production worker whose most recent contract at Cineflix was September 2017 to February 2018.
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Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Oct 2-9
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:
- Over 250 Canadian news media outlets have closed in the last ten years [J-Source]
- Alberta Magazine Publishers Association PitchFest [AMPA]
- Sara Mojtehedzadeh, Investigative Reporter [Flare]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Attract better-paying clients through specialization [Freelancers Union]
- The freelance retirement crisis no one is talking about [Fast Company]
- Why Journalists Just Can’t Quit Microsoft Word [Slate]
- Traditional vs. Self-Publishing: A guide for authors [Freelancers Union]
- Political freelancers talk about finding work in the age of Trump [The Freelancer]
- Why taking a rest day is essential for freelancers [Freelancers Union]
Recently on Story Board:
- Applications open for the 2019-2020 Canadian Nieman fellowship: Applications opened this week for a year-long fellowship that gives a Canadian journalist the opportunity to study and broaden their intellectual horizons at Harvard University…
- Urban Worker Project’s Freelancing 101 series running this month in Vancouver: The Urban Worker Project has teamed up with Vancity Credit Union to offer a series of hands-on workshops this month called “Freelance Contracting 101: Survive and Thrive in the New Economy”…
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 open for the 2019-2020 Canadian Nieman fellowship
Applications opened this week for a year-long fellowship that gives a Canadian journalist the opportunity to study and broaden their intellectual horizons at Harvard University. The 2019-2020 Martin Wise Goodman Canadian Nieman Fellowship is open to applications from October 1 to December 1.
Mid-career journalists — including freelancers, photojournalists, editorial cartoonists, columnists and broadcast producers, are all invited to apply. To be eligible, you must be a Canadian citizen and a working journalist with at least five years of professional media experience. The fellowship includes tuition to Harvard and a stipend for living expenses.
Details about the application requirements are available on the Canadian Nieman’s blog. For more information you can email canadiannieman@gmail.com.
To apply for the fellowship, go to the online access portal right here and select “International Nieman Fellowship.”
Urban Worker Project’s Freelancing 101 series running this month in Vancouver
Vancouver freelancers, mark your calendars for a series of workshops that will help you get a handle on your taxes and finances. The Urban Worker Project has teamed up with Vancity Credit Union to offer a series of hands-on workshops this month called “Freelance Contracting 101: Survive and Thrive in the New Economy.”
New and veteran freelancers alike will be able to sharpen their understanding of freelance business best practices during this series of workshops, which will cover subjects such as setting rates, getting paid on time, taxes and business planning.
WHEN: October 16, 18 and 19 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm + Freelancer social at Central City Brewing following the last workshop
WHERE: ArtStarts, 808 Richards Street, Vancouver
TICKETS: Sliding scale – $15/workshop or Pay What You Can
LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE: https://goo.gl/FxiGid
The October 16 workshop “Everything You Need to Know about Finance and Taxes” will feature Tania Lo from Tandem Accounting offering tips and tricks on managing your finances and filing your taxes. This workshop will focus on how CRA typically deals with self-employed income, how to calculate income and taxes originating from a variety of sources, how to distinguish between eligible and ineligible expenses, strategies to manage cash flow, and more. It will conclude with an overview of free DIY tax filing tools and an opportunity to ask specific questions.
The October 18 workshop “Systems for the Small Shop” will feature technology and operations consultant Rachel Flood teaching participants how to identify and improve inefficient business processes and choosing software to support your business.
The October 19 workshop “State Your Worth — How to Ask for What You Really Want from New and Existing Clients” will feature Annika Reinhardt from Talent Collective discussing freelance pricing models and negotiation techniques.
Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Sep 25-Oct 1
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:
- Refinery 29 to launch in Canada in October [J-Source]
- New report finds newspaper cuts bad news for local political coverage [J-Source]
- Negotiations with CBC management have begun [CMG]
- In Canadian cities the number of news stories published each day has been cut in half in the last decade [Nieman Lab]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- What will happen when newspapers kill print and go online only? [Nieman Lab]
- How to build a freelance website–in just a few hours [Freelancers Union]
- How to become a client mindreader in 6 steps [The Freelancer]
- 11 self-care strategies for freelancers [Freelancers Union]
- Is Anyone Out There? Sourcing News Stories [The Open Notebook]
Recently on Story Board:
- Freelancing financial success: “Dance your power dance and then say your number”: Follow your interests… and ask for more money. Those are the keys to financial success in freelancing, according to Toronto-based freelance journalist David Hayes and investment and lifestyle writer and editor Rita Silvan…
- The Born Freelancer Gives Assurance on Insurance: We live in an increasingly litigious world. Publishers and producers who unfairly insist upon making freelancers the scapegoats in the event of legal action are taking the easy and cheap way out…
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.
Freelancing Financial Success: “Dance your power dance and then say your number”
Follow your interests… and ask for more money.
Those are the keys to financial success in freelancing, according to Toronto-based freelance journalist David Hayes and investment and lifestyle writer and editor Rita Silvan.
The two were part of a panel discussion called “Freelancing Financial Success” at the recent Level Up conference in Toronto. The session, co-presented by the Professional Writers Association of Canada and CMG Freelance, took place on September 21 at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre.
Both Hayes and Silvan have had varied careers and shared what they’ve learned along the way.
Hayes said he decided early on that he only wanted to write for magazines and books and didn’t want to do any corporate writing.
To laughter from the audience, Silvan began her opening remarks with, “I’m the opposite, because I like money.”
Silvan said many of her career decisions have been financially motivated. The exception, she said, was the time she spent working in the consumer magazine industry. She was drawn to magazines because she’d always loved them. During the peak of her magazine career, she was the Editor-in-chief of Elle Canada.
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The Born Freelancer Gives Assurance on Insurance
This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
I think Sara Tatelman’s recent two-parter on liability and insurance for freelancers is a must-read. It is a topic of paramount importance for all freelancers despite the fact many of you might not think it relevant to your situation.
Believe me, it is. Or if it isn’t today, it will be tomorrow.
We live in an increasingly litigious world.
Publishers and producers who unfairly insist upon making freelancers the scapegoats in the event of legal action are taking the easy and cheap way out.
As freelancers, we must collectively act to curb such advances as have been made and push back to a more fair and just position in terms of limiting freelancers’ legal responsibilities.
Surely it is the job of a reputable, competent publisher or producer to accept comprehensive responsibility for everything that they publish or produce. It certainly used to be. It is their job to have fact checkers. It is their job to have lawyers. I know, I know. They say they can’t afford them any more. Well, I don’t buy it. And off-loading such responsibilities to those least capable of affording them (us) is downright insane. No, I take that back. That they should try it is merely amoral. That we should accept it is downright insane.
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Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Sep 18-24
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:
- Reporting on Indigenous stories [AMPA]
- A new era of ethics [Toronto Star]
- Why precarious work threatens the health of millennials [The Tyee]
- The Sprawl is growing [J-Source]
- Fact-Checking Jian Ghomeshi’s Comeback Essay [Canadaland]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- How to make your freelance business sustainable [Freelancers Union]
- What Magazines Can’t Do in the Age of #MeToo [The Atlantic]
- Are media co-ops the business model of the future? [CJR]
- Is Anyone Out There? Sourcing News Stories [The Open Notebook]
- Being Happy at Work — Freelance Edition [Freelance Writing Jobs]
Recently on Story Board:
- Freelancers Unite to Battle Low Pay and Bad Contracts: Members of five of Canada’s largest freelancer associations have banded together to fight against stagnant pay rates and contracts that demand the right to reuse their work for no further pay…
- Toronto media mixer October 1 — Covering Class: Toronto-area media workers, freelancers and journalism students are invited to a free networking event and panel discussion on Monday October 1 at Craft Kitchen at 6 p.m…
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.
