The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #36 — Sharon J. Riley
In this regular feature, Story Board asks Canadian writers to share a few details about their work habits and their strategies for navigating the ups and downs of freelance life.
Sharon J. Riley got her start in journalism as an intern at Harper’s magazine. Researching and fact checking for the publication gave her a foundation in journalism from which to start writing her own feature stories.
Her writing has appeared in publications such as The Walrus, Maisonneuve, The Tyee, and Harper’s itself, among others.
Her recent Walrus feature Rise of the Robots included interviews with two dozen truck drivers from across North America about the development of autonomous trucking technology and what it might mean for their jobs.
Sharon took the time to speak with Story Board recently about the pains of pitching, the importance of finding a freelance community, and the self-imposed challenges that come from being a freelancer without home wifi.
A lot of your projects are big and ambitious. How do you keep yourself motivated when you’re trying to get a new feature underway?
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Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer July 4-9
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:
- The Discourse hosts series of workshops to improve coverage of refugee stories [J-Source]
- CMG Freelance members gain access to National NewsMedia Council support [CWA Canada]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Law helps freelancers collect from deadbeats [The Villager]
- “You good?” The importance of checking up on a fellow freelancer [Freelancers Union]
- For many journalists, the bonds formed in the newsroom remain long after they leave [Poynter]
- The Globe and Mail is slipping a little extra context into its stories (while explaining its editorial thinking along the way) [Nieman Lab]
- 10 portfolio and publishing platforms for freelancers [Journalism.co.uk]
- What to do when clients don’t pay their invoices [Freelance Writing Jobs]
- 6 Great Portfolio Sites for Freelance Writers [The Write Life]
- How to leverage your passion to launch a successful freelancing career [Freelancers Union]
Recently on Story Board:
- Factual TV workers summer social in Toronto July 19: If you work in factual TV in the Toronto area you’re invited to a social night hosted by the Canadian Media Guild. Come and catch up with colleagues and friends, meet some new ones, and find out what’s happening in the industry…
- The Born Freelancer Attends a CBC Info Session Hosted by Field and Post: Two hundred or so independent writers and producers are attending an information session with an impressive panel of seven CBC executives flown in from Toronto. We are there to learn directly what CBC’s top executives are thinking when it comes to developing and pitching new content for its numerous video platforms…
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.
Factual TV workers summer social in Toronto July 19
If you work in factual TV in the Toronto area you’re invited to a social night hosted by the Canadian Media Guild.
This event is scheduled for Thursday, July 19 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Bier Markt King West (600 King St W). The social night is open to all and free to attend but please RSVP on this Eventbrite page. Drinks and snacks will be served.
Come and catch up with colleagues and friends, meet some new ones, and find out what’s happening in the industry. The CMG will also have free copies of our Guide to Working in Canadian Factual TV available.
The Born Freelancer attends a CBC info session hosted by Field and Post
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.
The scene: A downtown Vancouver conference centre during a rainy Friday afternoon early last month. Two hundred or so independent writers and producers are attending an information session with an impressive panel of seven CBC executives flown in from Toronto, hosted by Vancouver’s Field and Post with the participation of The Development Collective.
We are there to learn directly what CBC’s top executives are thinking when it comes to developing and pitching new content for its numerous video platforms.
While not focused on freelancing opportunities per se (being more about looking at creating opportunities for content creators and producers to partner with CBC in developing new programming) there is still much for this freelance writer to hear about and to take in.
While waiting to fill up, the room buzzes with friendly industry chatter. There is a real sense of community. And according to Field and Post’s Robert Hardy, that’s exactly Field and Post’s purpose.
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Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer June 26-July 3
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:
- Torstar cutting 11 full-time, 10 part-time staff at StarMetro in Toronto [Globe and Mail]
- Journalism organizations condemn criminal charges against two community journalists [J-Source]
- Feds must take action to stop Postmedia destruction of local news [CWA Canada]
- Postmedia to close more local newspapers, cut staff cost by 10 per cent [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Getting used to the sound of your own voice: 4 tips for podcasting beginners [Journalism.co.uk]
- How the Globe and Mail blew its news meetings wide open [Poynter]
- Capital Gazette journalist on Twitter: ‘Please understand, we do all this to serve our community.’ [Poynter]
- 10 overlooked press freedom groups that deserve support [CJR]
- Women in public-facing journalism jobs are exhausted by harassment [Poynter]
- 10 vital elements to making your freelance website superb [Freelance Writing Jobs]
- Why you should consider writing a book: Yes, you! [Freelancers Union]
- How to Stick to a Schedule When You Work From Home [New York Times]
Recently on Story Board:
- CMG Freelance members gain access to National NewsMedia Council support: As part of a new agreement between the two organizations, CMG Freelance members are now able to access the National NewsMedia Council’s pre-publication support and ethics advice…
- Take the Writers’ Union of Canada’s 2018 income survey: Canada’s national organization of professionally published book authors is conducting a survey of authors’ incomes. It’s designed to try and help the union understand how current industry conditions are impacting writers’ incomes…
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.
CMG Freelance members gain access to National NewsMedia Council support
As part of a new agreement between the two organizations, CMG Freelance members are now able to access the National NewsMedia Council’s pre-publication support and ethics advice.
The council is offering consulting and support via phone or email to freelance journalists who need ethical advice on sensitive stories.
The council was established in 2015 as a voluntary, self-regulatory ethics body for English-language news media in Canada. It was established to promote ethical practices within the media and handle complaints against its member publications.
With the ongoing layoffs and downsizing of media outlets, the council saw a need to reach out to the growing number of independent journalists in the industry.
“This is new territory. A lot of organizations are in an institutional mindset where you have a newsroom and staff all in one place. But the future is going to look a bit different,” said Brent Jolly, the council’s community manager and director of communications. “We see where the labour market is going and we think it would be valuable for individual members to have this kind of support.”
John Fraser, executive chair of the council, said he saw a need to promote ethics as journalism moves out of the traditional newsroom setting.
“A lot of people are willing to call themselves journalists but are not willing to adhere to journalistic standards,” he said.
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Take the Writers’ Union of Canada’s 2018 income survey
Canada’s national organization of professionally published book authors is conducting a survey of authors’ incomes. It’s designed to try and help the union understand how current industry conditions are impacting writers’ incomes.
Responses to the survey are anonymous. There are questions about employment status and earnings during the 2017 calendar year.
If you’ve had a fiction or non-fiction book published, you can take the Writers’ Union of Canada’s 2018 income survey right here.
Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer June 19-25
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:
- Leader of Far-Right Group Arrested for Invasion of VICE Office [VICE]
- Institute for investigative journalism launches at Concordia [J-Source]
- Winners of the 2018 CJF Awards announced [J-Source]
- Bill to make La Presse a not-for-profit passes after Quebec invokes closure [Globe and Mail]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Sophomore slump or comeback of the year? How to handle variable income [Freelancers Union]
- Study: male political reporters retweet other dudes 3 times more than their female colleagues [Vox]
- Freelancers are precarious. When should they push back? [CJR]
- How to become a freelance writer: A newbie’s guide to earn money writing [The Write Life]
- How to Cover Big Science Events: Lessons from the Great American Eclipse [Open Notebook]
- The best tools and tech to create a podcast in 2018 [Poynter]
- From Journalism to Marketing: 3 Actions That’ll Help Your Career Shift [The Freelancer]
- Why Local Journalism Makes a Difference [Nieman Reports]
Recently on Story Board:
- I sat through a defamation trial. Here’s what I learned: Like many journalists, I live in fear of being sued. I pray that being accurate and fair and unmalicious will be enough. Just in case it isn’t, I make sure never to indemnify any publication I write for. Still, what I learned from observing a defamation trial in Toronto this spring shook me up a little. Here’s what you should know…
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.
I sat through a defamation trial. Here’s what I learned.
by Alison Motluk
Like many journalists, I live in fear of being sued. I pray that being accurate and fair and unmalicious will be enough. Just in case it isn’t, I make sure never to indemnify any publication I write for. Still, what I learned from observing a defamation trial in Toronto this spring shook me up a little. Here’s what you should know.
You just can’t predict who will sue
I thought I had a pretty good nose for what kind of story I might be sued for, and by what kind of entity, but now I’m not so sure. My new policy is that I shouldn’t try to predict. Even if you go to extraordinary lengths to be accurate, even if the person suing you has already been taken to court elsewhere and didn’t show up, even if your lawyers have gone through the copy with a magnifying glass, don’t be cocky. It’s a crapshoot. You might be sued.
It might take years to be resolved
Cases may come to trial many years after the original story was published. In this instance, the trial was held more than seven years after the story was printed, and about four years after the journalist had moved on to work elsewhere.
Preparing for and defending a case can take many weeks of your unpaid time
The trial itself took more than three calendar weeks. Luckily for the journalist in this case, his new employer understood the importance of defending journalism. For a full-time freelancer like me, however, it would be three-plus weeks of lost income. In addition to that, many, many more weeks go into the preparation of the defence. As the writer, you know the story best, so you have to guide and assist your lawyers as they prepare to defend. That’s more lost income.
A case that could ruin you may go unnoticed
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Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer June 12-18
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:
- Trust in the news is substantially up in Canada, new report finds [J-Source]
- Copyright in Canada Today [Alberta Magazines]
- Here’s who was laid off from Rogers Media this week [J-Source]
- Showdown in Quebec legislature casts doubt on La Presse’s plan to convert to a charity [Globe and Mail]
- Western Living and Vancouver magazines acquired by Canada Wide Media [Canadian Magazines]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Investigative science reporting is good for us all [The Science Writers’ Handbook]
- 5 industries freelance writers should be targeting [Freelance Writing Jobs]
- 3 reasons why you should add professional development to your budget [Freelancers Union]
- A survival kit for journalists of color [Poynter]
- 4 ways to sustain a freelance writing career [Freelancers Union]
Recently on Story Board:
- A Tricky Transition: Can Good Writers Become Competent Editors?: Veteran freelance writers exhausted by the endless cycles of feast or famine often reach a point in their career where they fantasize, “I want one of those cush editing jobs!” But do strong writing skills automatically translate into editorial talent?…
- Vancouver freelancer social night June 26: CMG Freelance members and non-members are all welcome to drop by this semi-regular gathering for drinks, snacks and conversation. It’s an opportunity to catch up with some old freelance friends or meet a few new ones.
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.
