Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer April 19-25
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:
- The Globe is “looking into” new allegations of plagiarism against Margaret Wente [BuzzFeed Canada]
- Canadian Heritage announces major CanCon review [Globe and Mail]
- SABEW announces winners for the 2016 Best in Business awards [Masthead]
- Journalism startups carve out niches for themselves in Canada [J-Source]
- Canada drops 10 spots on 2016 world press freedom index after “dark age for journalism” [J-Source]
- PWAC annual awards applications open [PWAC]
- 10 freelance tax tips [Rags 2 Reasonable]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- New York Times plans to cut hundreds of jobs later this year [New York Post]
- Vice Media writers ratify first WGA contract [Deadline]
- How to break up with a freelance collaborator [Freelancers Union]
- 10 Good and Bad Things About Co-Working [The Freelancer]
- An ethical quandary for nonprofit journalism — are funders calling the shots? [Poynter]
- Making the Most of a Writers’ Association Membership [The Open Notebook]
- Are Personal Essays Dangerous for Freelancers? [The Freelancer]
- Family of Steven Sotloff, freelance journalist slain by Islamic State, sues Syria [AP]
Last week on Story Board:
- Forum Freelance Fund applications due April 30: Applications are open for the 2016 Forum Freelance Fund bursary, which provides funding for freelancers to attend dangerous environment training courses…
- The Born Freelancer on the Merits of Becoming an “Expert”: Being an expert makes you a name that others will seek out and provide you with opportunities to become better known…
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.
Forum Freelance Fund applications due April 30
Applications are open for the 2016 Forum Freelance Fund bursary, which provides funding for freelancers to attend dangerous environment training courses. The bursaries are worth $2500 each, and the rules and application process have been simplified this year.
The deadline for this annual bursary competition is April 30th. More information and application requirements are available on the Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma website.
The Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma runs the competition in association with the Rory Peck Trust, a U.K.-based organization devoted to promoting the safety of freelancers.
According to a news release from the Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma, 21 Canadian freelancers and foreign freelancers working for Canadian media have been helped by the Forum Freelance Fund so far.
The Born Freelancer on the Merits of Becoming an “Expert”
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? Your input is welcome in 
the comments.
The first time I was introduced in public as an expert on anything it was in front of several hundred university students when I was a guest consultant.
Honestly, my first reaction was to look behind me on stage to see who they were talking about.
At first I felt flattered. I had never thought of myself as an expert. But I quickly realized it wasn’t an attempt to flatter me.
It was in fact a shortcut to selling me – and anything I was about to present – to the students. By describing me as an expert it immediately gave me credibility – and also gave credibility by association back to the course and to the university itself.
It was in that moment I grasped the potential marketing power of being branded as an “expert”.
What is an Expert?
A expert is an authority on specialized subjects. Someone who is called upon to offer informed opinion and context on a given topic. A freelance expert is an independent voice, beholden to nothing except (ideally) a pursuit of the truth.
Be That Go To Guy or Gal
You may wish to become that person. The person others in the media or elsewhere call upon to answer difficult questions in public based upon the body of knowledge you have acquired, absorbed, and can synthesize into qualitative and pithy comments.
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer April 12-18
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:
- Strike Out: Labour disputes and shoddy reporting—is this the end of the Halifax Chronicle Herald? [The Walrus]
- The Winnipeg Free Press’ bet on micropayments will generate about $100K in revenue this year [Nieman Lab]
- SABEW Canada’s Best in Business Awards night [SABEW]
- Why does Black Press buy and then close small BC papers? [J-Source]
- CBC declines to turn over Panama Papers data to CRA [CBC]
- Halifax Chronicle Herald retracts refugee story after public outcry [Globe and Mail]
- Chronicle Herald pulls article widely criticized for targeting refugees [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- 6 secrets to a stress-free transition from full-time to freelance [Freelancers Union]
- VICE workers bargain big pay hike and rights on books, TV, movie deals [Poynter]
- The 6 Best Arguments for Why Unpaid Internships Make Absolutely No Sense [Vox]
-
5 lessons freelancers can learn from Stephen King [Freelancers Union]
- ‘Pretend You’re a White Male’: Freelance Writing’s Gender Problem [The Freelancer]
- How to Take Vacation as a Freelancer [The Freelancer]
- Take These Essential Steps to Crafting Your Personal Brand [Mediabistro]
- Is going solo a good idea? These journalists are giving it a try [Poynter]
- The journalist’s guide to shameless self-promotion [Poynter]
Last week on Story Board:
- The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #28 — Jane Auster: Jane Auster is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist based in Toronto. She has written for such publications as Toronto Life, Maclean’s, Canadian Business, and The Toronto Star…
- The Freelancer’s Toolbox: CMG Freelance has professional development events coming up in Toronto and Vancouver…
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 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #28 — Jane Auster
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.
Jane Auster is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist based in Toronto.
She has written for such publications as Toronto Life, Maclean’s, Canadian Business, and The Toronto Star. She also does corporate and government writing. She won PWAC’s Editor of the Year award in 2015.
Later this month, Jane is holding a pitching workshop at the our day-long Freelancer’s Toolbox seminar in Toronto.
She took the time to speak with Story Board this week about pitching, people skills and keeping an open mind when it comes to the kind of work a freelance writer can do.
How long have you been working as a freelancer?
I started fairly young so I’ve been working as a freelancer for about 40 years. After becoming a freelancer, I fell in love with the way of life. And I know other people talk about the freedom — really having yourself, ultimately, as your boss. So I fell in love with all of those aspects, too, and I figure now I’d be unemployable.
I think you develop a “my way or the highway” way of working. And that’s me. And I also work faster than most other people so whenever I’ve had employment contracts, especially with the government, I find that I finish the work in half the time and then I’m wondering what’s next.
Read the rest of this post »
The Freelancer’s Toolbox
by Don Genova, CMG Freelance President
Open up my literal freelancer’s writer-broadcaster toolbox and you’ll find microphones, digital and analog recorders, umpteen cables and adapters, a couple of different cameras, a bunch of notebooks and various pens and pencils. But open up my figurative toolbox and you’ll find tools needed for my profession that are a little bit harder to describe, but ones that I’ve learned over the years.
Those tools include a knack for writing pitches or query letters to editors and producers, and knowing what sells for their particular publication or broadcast.
The other handy tool in my figurative box is another learned skill. Being able to look at a contract offered for my services and figure out how and why this ‘agreement’ meets my best interests.
And then there is a very rare tool: the ability to negotiate a better deal when the contract or offer doesn’t meet my best interests. This is the tool I think many freelancers need the most help with.
And help we have, in the form of two workshops offered by the Canadian Media Guild Freelance Branch in Toronto and Vancouver. I think we’ve put together an excellent line-up of professionals to help freelancers of any level of experience learn more about pitching and negotiating. We are also giving attendees a chance to listen to and meet some of the key people who direct freelance opportunities at CBC Radio and VICE Canada.
Read the rest of this post »
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer April 5-11
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:
- Media Union CWA Canada Condemns Herald Refugee Story [CWA Canada]
- Does serious journalism stand a chance? [J-Source]
- 2015 CAJ award finalists announced [J-Source]
- Developing from the Negative: Freelance photojournalism [Ryerson Review]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Is transparency the new objectivity in journalism? [Journalism.co.uk]
- Do we need a new kind of nonprofit structure to support news as a public good? [Nieman Reports]
- Stop asking so many questions, don’t forget the kicker and other tips from Pulitzer winners [Poynter]
- Editors Tell All: What Subject Lines Work Best? [The Freelancer]
- 3 ways to build confidence – even when you’re not feeling it [Freelancers Union]
Last week on Story Board:
- Freelance rates rising at CBC/Radio Canada: The Canadian Media Guild and CBC have agreed to an across-the-board wage increase of 1.5% for 2016-17. This increase is also applicable to all the minimum rates applicable to Freelance Contributors…
- What is your time worth?: Be on the lookout for more than one story at a time. But most importantly, figure out what your time is worth, then make it work for you…
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 Rates Rising at CBC/Radio-Canada
The Canadian Media Guild and CBC have agreed to an across-the-board wage increase of 1.5% for 2016-17. This increase is also applicable to all the minimum rates applicable to Freelance Contributors. The increase is effective April 1st and the new rates should be posted at cmg.ca and cmgfreelance.ca within the next couple of days.
The one exception is the rate for Text Contributions. The new minimum jumps to 55 cents a word from 50 cents a word based on a previous negotiation.
The increase comes as a result of the 2013 contract settlement which doesn’t expire until 2019, but the two sides agreed to a ‘wage re-opener’ for 2017.
“All freelancers should examine their newest contracts (April 1st or later) to make sure that the increase has been applied,” says Don Genova, CMG Freelance President. “Also, if you’re a regular contributor being paid over-scale, your base rate should go up 1.5% and your over-scale amount should remain the same, it shouldn’t be reduced as a result of the base improvement.”
If you have any questions about the increase and how it should be applied, contact Don at freelance@cmg.ca.
What is your time worth?
By Sandra Phinney
It’s a curious human trait how we tend to put certain people and professions on a pedestal, while we look down on others. I was acutely aware of this when I farmed. When I taught university courses and wore a professor’s hat, I had tons of respect. Wearing my farmer’s hat … not so much.
Even within the same profession, we set up arbitrary tiers of importance. For example, high school teachers tend to be held in higher regard than elementary teachers. Degrees from big-name institutions are sexier than degrees from smaller institutions.
The same happens in the writing world. There’s a lot of prestige associated with writing for national magazines that pay $1 to $3 dollars-a-word. People are impressed. Mention a little-known regional publication (worse yet, a local magazine) and some people’s eyes glaze over. For many, low word-rates imply lesser quality magazines or insignificant productions.
I’ve discovered that for the most part, this is not true; I now think twice before I assume a snobbish stance.
But the main reason I’ve made a mental shift (crass as it may sound) is because I can often make as much money writing for a publication that pays .20 cents a word as I can for publications that pay $1 + a word.
“How so” you ask? It all has to do with how long it takes to produce an article (or complete a contract), and knowing what your time is worth.
Track your time
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Mar 30-April 4
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:
- Coalition condemns court ruling threatening press freedoms [J-Source]
- Superior Court judge upholds RCMP production order for Vice reporter’s notes [J-Source]
- Canadian Judge Orders VICE News Journalist to Hand Over Digital Messages [Vice]
- Finalists named for Atlantic Journalism Awards [Canadian Magazines]
- Offbeat: To cover holes left by cuts, young journalists must define their own roles in the newsroom [Ryerson Review]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- How to Declutter Your Writing Ideas and Finish More Projects [The Write Life]
- 7 reasons why you should break into brand journalism [Mediabistro]
- Why You Should Add ‘Fixer’ to Your Résumé [The Freelancer]
- Even busy freelancers can’t afford to skimp on these 4 things [Freelancers Union]
- 5 Freelancers Share Their Worst Client Horror Stories [The Freelancer]
- 9 Places to Find an Expert Source for Your Next Article [The Write Life]
- The Freelancer’s Guide To Avoiding Nightmare Clients [Fast Company]
- Why Every Freelance Writer Needs an Accountant on Their Side [The Write Life]
Last week on Story Board:
- Sunny Widerman’s tax tips for creatives: It’s nearly April, freelancers. Which means it’s time to start thinking about preparing your tax return…
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.
