Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Oct 31-Nov 6
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, publishing, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
- National Magazine Awards and Magazine Grands Prix to merge [J-Source]
- The National Media Awards Foundation and Magazines Canada have merged their awards programs [Canadian Magazines]
- Critic says new Globe and Mail freelance contract isn’t fair for writers [J-Source]
- Applications open for the Fellowship for Aboriginal Investigative Journalism [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- The risk of billionaire funded media, the importance of archiving and other takeaways from the demise of DNAinfo and Gothamist [Nieman Lab]
- How a stay-at-home dad found success as a freelancer [Freelancers Union]
- DNAinfo and Gothamist Are Shut Down After Vote to Unionize [New York Times]
- Go into freelancing armed with the resources you need to succeed [Poynter]
- How one freelancer balances passion and job security [Freelancers Union]
- Office hours with Melissa Hendricks [Open Notebook]
Recently on Story Board:
- Freelance Specific Services Contracts — Good Value or Possible Minefield?: Last month I went over the nuts and bolts of CBC’s Freelance Contributor Contracts. But CBC also uses other kinds of contracts with freelancers. One of those is the Freelance Specific Services contract. For a type of contract that often gets used by the CBC to hire freelancers, it sure doesn’t say much about it in the collective agreement with the Canadian Media Guild…
- New Globe and Mail freelance contract isn’t fair to writers, says critic: The Globe and Mail has received criticism for a revamped freelance contract that one critic says doesn’t treat authors fairly. Content Writers Group — formerly known as the Canadian Writers Group — founder Derek Finkle said the provisions in the Globe’s “amended and restated” freelance contract take away rights freelancers previously retained, with no extra compensation in sight…
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.
CBC Freelance Specific Services Contracts – Good Value or a Possible Minefield?
by Don Genova
Last month I went over the nuts and bolts of CBC’s Freelance Contributor Contracts. But CBC also uses other kinds of contracts with freelancers. One of those is the Freelance Specific Services contract.
For a type of contract that often gets used by the CBC to hire freelancers, it sure doesn’t say much about it in the collective agreement with the Canadian Media Guild.
Here it is, in total, bottom of page 90 and top of page 91 of the CA:
Article 30.4 Freelance Specific Services (FSS for short)
Under Freelance Specific Services contracts, a freelancer will provide a deliverable for a specific identifiable program(s) or program segments or items within an individual program series. Such contracts will not have a term. Freelance Specific Services contracts shall be prorated at not less than the applicable minimum rate for similar work referred to in Article 54 (Classifications and Hourly Rates)
So, at this point you may be asking, “What is a ‘deliverable’? Why is there no term? What is the applicable rate for similar work? What is similar work, anyway?”
Let’s take a look one at a time:
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Critic says new Globe and Mail freelance contract isn’t fair to writers
by Mitchell Thompson
The Globe and Mail has received criticism for a revamped freelance contract that one critic says doesn’t treat authors fairly.
Content Writers Group — formerly known as the Canadian Writers Group — founder Derek Finkle said the provisions in the Globe’s “amended and restated” freelance contract take away rights freelancers previously retained, with no extra compensation in sight.
“The freelancer retains their copyright over the work but the contract makes those rights so narrow that you don’t really have the rights to your work,” Finkle said.
For example, the contract demands freelancers give up moral rights to their contracted material, Finkle said. The CWG said that obligates freelance writers to “give publishers the right to essentially mutilate your work in ways that you might not agree with.” Finkle added that it gives the company the power to rewrite copy freely, even if it changes the meaning of the work.
The danger, Finkle explained, is that authors would lose the right to challenge editorial changes that fundamentally alter the article’s intent. “It seems to mean, if a writer wrote something mean about Donald Trump, the paper is free to turn it around and make it a nice story about Donald Trump,” Finkle said. “Moral Rights is about control over the work”
Jim Jennings, the Globe’s associate publisher, would not comment on either the contract’s moral rights language. “Each (contract) has a confidentiality clause associated with it and as such cannot comment on any individual situation.”
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Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Oct 24-30
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, publishing, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
- Stronger together: How journalists can collaborate [J-Source]
- CBC Short Story Prize juror Kevin Hardcastle’s 5 rules for writing [CBC Books]
- Government should not be picking winners and losers in the media world [J-Source]
- Tabatha Southey Heads To Maclean’s, Opens Up About The Globe [Canadaland]
- Understanding Canada’s new shield law for confidential sources [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- The most annoying thing an editor can do [CJR]
- 3 tips for creating compelling content [Freelancers Union]
- Importance of mentorship in the communications field [Mediabistro]
- Take note of these methods to get started as a freelance writer [Journalism.co.uk]
- Writing Well about Disability [The Open Notebook]
- Advice for getting started as a sports journalist [Journalism.co.uk]
- Journalism’s broken business model won’t be solved by billionaires [New Yorker]
- 3 Real-World Examples of Freelance Writing Pitches That Sold [The Write Life]
Recently on Story Board:
- Freelance social night in Vancouver November 7: Vancouver-area freelancers, come out for a casual social evening with peers and colleagues at Craft Beer Market (85 West 1st Ave) on Tuesday, November 7th from 6 to 8 p.m. CMG Freelance members and non-members are all welcome…
- Webinar — LinkedIn for Journalists: LinkedIn is often known only as a networking tool, though it can also be used as a powerful research tool. In this webinar, Katt Stearns will show you how to best to use this overlooked social media platform and answer the question, “should I pay to ‘go Pro’?”…
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.
Freelance social night in Vancouver November 7
Vancouver-area freelancers, come out for a casual social evening with peers and colleagues at Craft Beer Market (85 West 1st Ave) on Tuesday, November 7th from 6 to 8 p.m.
CMG Freelance members and non-members are all welcome. Come and catch up with your freelance friends or meet some new ones. You never know what new inspiration or collaboration might arise out of an evening of conversation with other freelancers.
Please RSVP to freelance@cmg.ca to let us know if you can make it. Hope to see you there!
Webinar: LinkedIn for Journalists
LinkedIn is often known only as a networking tool, though it can also be used as a powerful research tool. In this webinar, Katt Stearns will show you how to best to use this overlooked social media platform and answer the question, “should I pay to ‘go Pro’?”
If you’re one of those people who has set up a LinkedIn account and then just let it sit there, this webinar is for you.
“How to Make the Best Use of Your LinkedIn Account“ is scheduled for Thursday, November 9 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
Katt Stearns is the founder of Katt Stearns Consulting. She has worked with numerous small and medium sized organizations helping them develop marketing strategies to share their stories and grow their organizations. Katt is the recipient of the 2015 Canadian Digital Marketer of the Year Award and was also nominated for the 2014 British Columbia Small Business Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year. You can connect with Katt on Twitter at @KattStearns.
Register for the webinar at this link. CMG Freelance and CWA Canada Associate Members can use their membership numbers to register. And for a limited time, CMG Freelance is making live viewing of our webinars available to non-members. If you’d like to watch this one, you can use the special code “Storyboard” in place of a membership number.
Archived webinars are available for viewing by CMG Freelance and CWA Canada Associate Members on this members-only page on the CMG Freelance website. Subjects of previous webinars include tax tips for freelancers, negotiation skills, and webinars with Katt Stearns about best practices for Twitter and Facebook.
Students, volunteers and emerging media workers can sign up for a free CWA Associate Membership right here.
For information about the price and benefits of CMG Freelance membership check out the CMG Freelance website.
Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Oct 17-23
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, publishing, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
- Live blog: The Democracy Project [J-Source]
- New Indigenous writing awards for emerging authors announced [CBC Books]
- Call for Judges: 41st National Magazine Awards [Magazine Awards]
- New York Times Canadian photo archive a rich resource for journalism researchers [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Female Freelancers Are Paid Way Less Than Men For The Same Creative Jobs [Fast Company]
- Activism and Science Journalism: Where are Your Boundaries? [Open Notebook]
- 5 productivity tips and tools [Freelancers Union]
- 5 Online Networking Tips for New Freelance Writers [The Write Life]
- Freelancing in America in 2017 [Freelancers Union]
- How freelancers can make sure they get paid on time [HBR]
- Safety resources for freelance journalists [Mediabistro]
- A 100% transparent look at my first Medium paycheque [Medium]
- How to Vary Your Sentence Structure (And Stop Boring Your Readers) [The Write Life]
- Freelancers Are Planning For The Future Of Work Faster Than Anyone Else [Fast Company]
Recently on Story Board:
- The Born Freelancer’s musings on muses and the origins of inspiration: Every creative person should have muses. Freelancers being no exception. Muses have a solid, pragmatic value to the working professional. They are not solely the province of mystics and visionary artists…
- Blogger or journalist? In Canada, defamation law applies either way: While blogs and message boards often provide a great platform to disseminate information and engage in productive conversations, they also represent a grey area when it comes to defamation laws…
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.
The Born Freelancer’s Musings on Muses and the Origins of Inspiration
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 was speaking to a visual artist the other day. I found myself guilty of asking him the same over-worked question we writers so often get asked by non-writers.
“Where do you get your inspiration?”
He looked at me intently for a few seconds and then, in a low conspiratorial voice, said,
“I await my muses.”
I nodded my understanding. You see, I too have muses.
Every creative person should have muses. Freelancers being no exception.
Now if that all sounds too metaphysical, please indulge me for a moment.
Muses have a solid, pragmatic value to the working professional. They are not solely the province of mystics and visionary artists.
What’s a muse?
Blogger or journalist? In Canada, defamation law applies either way
by Vanessa Hrvatin
Who is a journalist, anyway? In the age of the internet, the definition is becoming less clear.
In the past, journalists were considered gatekeepers of information, but today, anyone can share facts and stories online through different platforms, including blogging sites. Many freelance journalists spend time blogging about topics without necessarily worrying about the ethical and legal considerations associated with journalism. Others—who don’t consider themselves journalists at all—have made careers by blogging on a specialized topic.
While blogs and message boards often provide a great platform to disseminate information and engage in productive conversations, they also represent a grey area when it comes to defamation laws. People tend to speak more freely on the internet and for many independent journalists and bloggers, the legal implications of defaming someone in the blogosphere are unclear.
Defamation law in the blogosphere
The laws around defamation in the blogosphere became clearer in 2009, when the Grant versus TorStar Corp defamation lawsuit established the defense of responsible communication on matters of public interest. This precedent established that as long as journalists did their due diligence in confirming potentially defamatory facts, they could not be held liable for defamation.
This defence was previously called responsible journalism, but during this case it was decided that bloggers could use the defence as well—officially removing any legal distinction between blogger and journalist. This essentially means if a blogger defames someone online and is taken to court, they will have to prove they did their due diligence in confirming facts before they shared the information on their blog, just as a journalist would have to. However not every case is clear cut, and the law is still adapting to lawsuits in the blogosphere.
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Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Oct 11-16
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, publishing, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From Canada:
- Why is Melanie Joly ignoring the crisis in Canadian Journalism? [The Conversation]
- CHEK changed the channel and put workers in charge [The Tyee]
- Why La Presse started an internship geared towards minority reporters and First Nations people [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Social media for writers: 5 quick fixes to build your brand [The Write Life]
- How to cope with the fear of freelance work drying up [Creative Boom]
- 8 Styles of Music to Help You Focus While You Write [The Write Life]
- Let’s Talk About Coworking (And What It Has to Offer) [Freelance Writing Gigs]
- When science reporting takes an emotional toll [The Open Notebook]
- 4 tips for chasing payment [Freelancers Union]
- When Does a Writer Rest? It’s Time to Talk About Self-Care [The Write Life]
- Extraordinary financial scam leverages prestige of the Atlantic [Washington Post]
Recently on Story Board:
- 2018 Dalton Camp Award deadline December 1: The deadline for the 2018 Dalton Camp Award is approaching. The annual essay competition is open to submissions until Friday, December 1. The competition awards the best essay (or essays) about the link between democracy and the media in Canada…
- Pay-what-you-can financial planning for low-income freelancers: Chris Enns specializes in helping people with variable income get their financial houses in order. The Toronto-based financial planner and opera singer offers online personalized financial counselling services through his practice From Rags to Reasonable…
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.
