Freelance Isn’t Free Act becomes law in New York City
Yesterday was a historic day for freelancers. The Freelance Isn’t Free Act, which was spearheaded by the Freelancers Union during a year-long campaign last year, became law in New York City.
The #FreelanceIsntFree Act started with freelancers and the institution they built. That’s the power of a union.
— Sara Horowitz (@Sara_Horowitz) May 15, 2017
The law requires anyone hiring a freelancer for work worth $800 or more to use a written contract. The contract must describe the work being commissioned, the rate and payment method, the date when payment is due, and it must include contact information for both parties.
The law also requires contractors to pay their freelancers in full within 30 days of the work being completed or by the payment due date stated on the contract. Companies that do not pay on time could face penalties, including damages and attorney’s fees.
The Freelance Isn’t Free campaign was launched after the Freelancers Union released a report in 2015 that indicated that over 70 percent of freelancers have had trouble getting paid at some point in their careers.
The Freelancers Union also released an app yesterday that will help freelancers find legal support if they need to take action against non-paying clients.
The #FreelanceIsntFree Act marks the beginning of the real safety net for freelancers. pic.twitter.com/4JqEjdTFxV
— Freelancers Union (@freelancersu) May 15, 2017
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer May 9-15
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:
- Jonathan Kay has resigned as EIC of The Walrus [Canadian Magazines]
- Canada’s National Newspaper Awards have a diversity problem [J-Source]
- High-profile Canadian journalists pledge to raise money for ‘appropriation prize’ [Toronto Star]
- Desmond Cole’s decision to leave the Toronto Star suggests a double standard on activism [J-Source]
- How striking Halifax journalists conjured an award-winning digital news outlet out of pluck and spite [Canadaland]
- A journalist’s guide to responsible social embeds and usage [J-Source]
- Globe and Mail Public Editor: Why are women absent from the pages of The Globe? [J-Source]
- Magazine winners announced in 2016 Atlantic Journalism Awards [Canadian Magazines]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Take your skills to the next level with online learning [Freelancers Union]
- Advice from 18 news organizations to help you tailor your story pitches [Journalism.co.uk]
- Despite doing more with less, journalists at small newspapers are mostly optimistic [Poynter]
- Don’t Feel Guilty, Freelancers: 4 Reasons to Love Coffee Shops [The Write Life]
- So how in the world do you break into a career in podcasting, anyway? [Nieman Lab]
- 6 Millennials Share Why They Joined The Gig Economy And Ditched Their Day Jobs [Forbes]
- Writing Groups 101: How to Find Your Perfect Match [The Write Life]
- How to work in the gig economy and still save like a corporate lifer [Working Not Working]
- Negotiating 101 for Writers [Michelle Rafter]
- 5 Crucial Tips if You Want to Write for Local Publications [The Write Life]
Recently on Story Board:
- Know Your Worth, Know Your Rights: More often than not, writers are being asked to sign contracts these days, says Don Genova, president of CMG Freelance. Contracts can protect you, but they can also put an unfair burden on the writer…
- Expanding Your Portfolio with Sandra Phinney: With legacy media crumbling and a scarcity of full-time writing jobs, keeping a freelance lifestyle means looking in the nooks and crannies of your own backyard…
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.
Know Your Worth, Know Your Rights with Don Genova
by Grace Szucs
CMG Freelance President Don Genova
More often than not, writers are being asked to sign contracts these days, says Don Genova, president of CMG Freelance. Contracts can protect you, but they can also put an unfair burden on the writer.
Genova went over some freelance contract basics at an info session hosted by the Canadian Media Guild and CWA Canada in Halifax last week.
Take the time to look over these areas of a contract before you sign:
Moral rights and indemnification
Giving up moral rights means the publication can remove your name from the work, use it for advertising, break it up into pieces and use it in other articles, and they can change the article however they see fit.
Some contracts ask you to indemnify the publication in the event that they get sued. Check out this recent Story Board post by Lesley Evans Ogden about her experience with being asked to do so.
Genova notes that if you give up moral rights and you indemnify the publication, you could be responsible if the publication makes a change to your work that causes them to get sued.
Kill fees
Expanding Your Portfolio with Sandra Phinney
By Grace Szucs
Sandra Phinney speaks at the info session. Photo by Don Genova
With legacy media crumbling and a scarcity of full-time writing jobs, keeping a freelance lifestyle means looking in the nooks and crannies of your own backyard.
Sandra Phinney, freelance writer and photographer based in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, is a travel writer at heart, but has had to get creative to survive.
“I do a lot of it, but I could never earn my living as a travel writer,” she said at an info session hosted by CMG Freelance and CWA Canada at the Dalhousie University Club in Halifax last week.
Diversify
In her past life as a farmer, Phinney learned that the more diversified her crops were, the more she was able to sell. The same applies to writing, she says.
In her early years, she teamed up with videographer, Don Parnell, to create a “one-stop-shop” called Parnell-Phinney Productions. Made up of a team of local on-call skilled media workers including voiceover artists, designers, photographers, translators, and an editor, the company was able to provide everything from newsletters to ad placements. They worked on:
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Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer May 2-8
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:
- What impact will proposal to eliminate unpaid internships in federal industries have on media workers? [J-Source]
- Canada receives failing grades for protecting sources and newsrooms [J-Source]
- Vice Canada workers have a collective agreement [J-Source]
- Why journalists should study personal branding [J-Source]
- Vice Canada workers ratify collective agreement as digital journalists turn to unions [CBC]
- All Work No Pay: Why freelancing is more precarious than ever [Ryerson Review of Journalism]
- Canadian Media Guild members sign first collective agreement with VICE Canada [Canadian Magazines]
- CMG members at VICE Canada sign first collective agreement [CMG]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- 4 Easy-to-Avoid Freelancing Mistakes Every Rookie Makes [The Write Life]
- Five tech essentials for freelancers [Freelancers Union]
- This tool, made by college students, will save you all that time you spend transcribing [Poynter]
- America Needs Unions Now More Than Ever [Vice]
- How to be more productive when you work from home [Freelancers Union]
- 6 ways to solve creative differences with your client [Freelancers Union]
- How to Build a Strong Writing Portfolio When You’re a Ghostwriter [The Write Life]
- Facebook has found a head of news products to help fight its false news problem [Recode]
- Top 3 Habit Changes That Kickstarted My Freelance Career [Fast Company]
- Amid the wreckage of fallen startups, Longreads is increasing the original reporting it funds [Nieman Lab]
Recently on Story Board:
- Independent journalists are “far more vulnerable” to legal action: When Justin Brake followed Indigenous land protectors past a fence and into the Muskrat Falls hydro-electric dam site last October, he thought he could rely on the freedom of the press provision in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms…
- The Born Freelancer on Brief Encounters and Memorable Journeys: Talking to strangers on cross-country trains and planes really is anathema to many of you. My experiences generally have been the diametric opposite…
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.
Independent journalists and freelancers “far more vulnerable” to legal action
by Steve Cornwell
Journalist Justin Brake
Photo by Tom Cochrane
When Justin Brake followed Indigenous land protectors past a fence and into the Muskrat Falls hydro-electric dam site last October, he thought he could rely on the freedom of the press provision in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Brake was reporting on demonstrators who went several kilometres into the site and occupied space in a Muskrat Falls workers’ camp. The land protectors were protesting the potential impacts the construction of the dam would have on their fishing and food supplies.
Now, just over six months removed from covering the story for The Independent, an online news site in Newfoundland and Labrador, Brake is facing three charges – one civil and two criminal – the latter of which could result in up to 10 years in jail.
“I wasn’t really tuned into press freedom issues,” says Brake. “It was just something I took for granted because I knew it was constitutionally protected; that’s basically why I made the decision I did that day because I thought I would have protection because the constitution is the highest law in Canada.”
Facing similar charges as the land protectors he was covering, Brake warns that Canadian journalists “shouldn’t feel that they have that protection guaranteed, it’s not guaranteed.”
Tom Henheffer, executive director of Canadian Journalists for Free Expression says that independent journalists and reporters from smaller media outlets are “far more vulnerable and far more often targeted” for legal action than those working for larger media outlets.
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The Born Freelancer on Brief Encounters and Memorable Journeys
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.
Talking to strangers on cross-country trains and planes really is anathema to many of you.
I’ve heard your horror stories. Trapped for hours beside the passenger who bores you to within inches of hari-kari or murder.
My experiences generally have been the diametric opposite.
I’ve heard some amazing stories and life secrets from complete strangers.
Over the years I have written up or mentally filed away dozens and dozens of such encounters.
Many have found their way, one way or another, into my creative endeavors.
For you see, I’m not just a sympathetic listener. I’m a writer.
And I’m convinced everybody has a story worth hearing.
I am also a card-carrying, professional parasite
We writers are parasites.
That may sound harsh but it’s true. We sift and sort through other people’s lives (not just our own) so that we can write about them – or be inspired by them – in fiction or non-fiction form.
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer April 25-May 1
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:
- Magazine Grands Prix winners announced [Canadian Magazines]
- Canada Council pushes back opening of online application portal to June 5 [Canadian Magazines]
- Canada slips out of Top 20 in press freedom index [J-Source]
- Nominees announced for Digital Publishing Awards [Canadian Magazines]
- What has changed for women working in Canadian journalism? [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Why freelancing ain’t free (Nor should it be) [Freelancers Union]
- 10 foolproof tips to make your freelance writing proposal shine [The Write Life]
- New report from the Index on Censorship paints a bleak picture for U.S. press freedom [Poynter]
- Do you tell your clients you’re on vacation? [Freelancers Union]
- How to save time and create a ton of content from one idea [Mediabistro]
Recently on Story Board:
- Media Mixer: Freelancer or employee?: Lise Lareau moderated a panel discussion about the distinction between one’s rights as an independent contractor versus as an employee in Ontario at Watson’s pub in downtown Toronto on April 25…
- Events for freelancers in Halifax May 3: Halifax freelancers, students and media workers, mark your calendars for a couple of great networking and professional development events planned for Wednesday, May 3…
- Ticket giveaway for National Magazine Awards gala on May 26 in Toronto: The 2017 National Magazine Awards nominations were announced last week and, as always, freelancers figure prominently among the nominees. And two of them are members of CMG Freelance…
- CMG Freelance compiling a freelance contracts tip sheet: Let’s work together to find out where the good, bad, and ugly contracts are. The Canadian Media Guild is embarking on a new mission to do just this…
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.
Media Mixer: Freelancer or Employee?
by Shelley Pascual
Lise Lareau, Tassia Poynter and Denise O’Connell at the media mixer in Toronto. Photo by Shelley Pascual
“We need these media mixers to get to know one another, support one another and more importantly, push each other to advance our interests collectively,” said Lise Lareau, a top union official for the Canadian Media Guild.
Lareau moderated a panel discussion about the distinction between one’s rights as an independent contractor versus as an employee in Ontario at Watson’s pub in downtown Toronto on April 25, 2017. The event was hosted by the Canadian Media Guild and CWA Canada.
Media workers, freelancers, union members, students and journalists came together for the evening to network and to gather tips on how to navigate the media industry from two speakers: Tassia Poynter and Denise O’Connell.
The panelists
Tassia Poynter is a civil, employment and labour lawyer at Cavalluzzo law firm. Recently, she’s been helping the Canadian Media Guild with several campaigns, such as the addition of the newest member to the guild, Vice Canada Union.
Denise O’Connell is a journalist with 20 years’ experience producing for some of the largest broadcasters in North America. She’s also an organizer at the Canadian Media Guild currently working to bring bargaining rights to the reality and factual TV business.
Here’s some of the advice the panelists gave during the talk.
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Ticket giveaway for National Magazine Awards gala May 26 in Toronto
The 2017 National Magazine Awards nominations were announced last week and, as always, freelancers figure prominently among the nominees. And two of them are members of CMG Freelance.
Congratulations to Alison Motluk, whose piece “A Journey to the Medical Netherworld” is nominated in the Personal Journalism category. And congratulations to Kalli Anderson, whose article “Cannabis Kids” is nominated in the Feature Writing category. We wish them luck at the upcoming awards gala, on May 26th in Toronto.
The Magazine Awards are offering a special deal on gala tickets to freelancers this year. If you’ve been nominated for an award, you can get a ticket to the reception, dinner, and awards show for a discounted rate of $35 (down from the regular price of $135). These discounted tickets are in limited supply, so email staff@magazine-awards.com to reserve yours today.
CMG Freelance has a free gala ticket to give away to one of our members. If you’d like to be entered in a draw to win the ticket, email freelance@cmg.ca.
