Livecast panel on internships tomorrow
CWA Canada is planning to livestream a panel discussion on internships that’s happening tomorrow as part of their Media Workers Forum for students, volunteers and precarious media workers. If you’d like to watch that discussion, you can tune in right here starting tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. EST.
And if you’re in Toronto, there’s still time to register to attend this day-long training and networking forum.
The event starts at 11 a.m. in the Sears Atrium, George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre (245 Church St.) and also includes a mentorship workshop and a session on building a sustainable career in media.
If you’re interested in attending, register today on this Eventbrite page. Food and drinks will be provided for all participants throughout the day.
Visual Journalism Master Class with John Lehmann Nov. 21 in Vancouver
Vancouver-area freelancers, if you’re looking to improve your photography skills check out The Tyee’s upcoming Master Class with Globe and Mail staff photographer John Lehmann. Lehmann is one of Canada’s top photojournalists — he was named Canadian photojournalist of the year in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Lehmann’s Master Class is intended for people who already understand the fundamentals of photography and are interested in expanding their creative skills and developing their own style.
The course is scheduled for Saturday, November 21st from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch, coffee and post-class beer are included in the $200 registration fee. CMG Freelance is sponsoring this course, so the registration fee also includes a year-long membership in the CMG Freelance Branch (which has a value of $150).
If you’re already a member of CMG Freelance, you qualify for a $50 discount on the course. If you are a member and you’re interested in signing up for this course, please email freelance@cmg.ca for a discount code before you register.
You can find out more details and register for this class on The Tyee’s website.
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Nov 3-9
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 funding in a decimated state [J-Source]
- Bell Media to cut 270 jobs in Toronto, 110 in Montreal [Globe and Mail]
- Why anxiety makes journalists miss deadlines [J-Source]
- What happens next after job loss in journalism? [J-Source]
- We need to talk about female journalists of colour [Ryerson Review]
- Media Worker Forum [J-Source]
- Women in Canadian newsrooms remain ‘Outsiders Still’ [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Wil Wheaton is right: Stop expecting artists to work for free — or worse, for “exposure” [Salon]
- Journalism behind bars: Vice and Al Jazeera advocating for freedom of the press [Journalism.co.uk]
- Upworthy’s November call for pitches [Freelance Cafe]
- How Contently’s Content Marketing Funds Investigative Journalism [Mediashift]
- The simple secret to being an unstoppable freelancer [Freelancers Union]
- Why Freelance Journalists are Shifting Their Careers to Content Marketing [Mediashift]
- 3 Ways You’re Probably Sabotaging Your Freelance Writing Business [The Write Life]
Last week on Story Board:
- Freelancing 101 Webinar for CMG Freelance and CWA Associate Members: If you’re just starting out as a freelancer, you’ll want to sign up for Freelancing 101, a webinar for CMG Freelance and CWA Associate Members with Toronto editor and writer Kelli Korducki…
- Media Worker Forum in Toronto on November 14: CWA Canada is holding a free day of training and networking for students, volunteers and precarious media workers on Saturday, November 14th…
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 101 webinar for members
If you’re just starting out as a freelancer, you’ll want to sign up for Freelancing 101, a webinar for CMG Freelance and CWA Associate Members with Toronto editor and writer Kelli Korducki.
The webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, November 18th from 4:30 to 5:30 EST and will cover the ins and outs of building a career as a media freelancer. Topics will include social media, making contacts in the industry, getting paid on time and negotiating contracts.
This webinar is free for both CWA Associate Members and members of CMG Freelance. If you’re already a member, you can register for the event on this Eventbrite page.
If you’re interested in the webinar but can’t participate live, be sure to register anyway — the webinar will be recorded and made available for playback for members.
CWA Associate Membership is free for students, volunteers and emerging media workers. You can sign up for membership right here.
For information about the price and benefits of CMG Freelance membership check out the CMG Freelance website.
Media Worker Forum in Toronto on November 14
CWA Canada is holding a free day of training and networking for students, volunteers and precarious media workers on Saturday, November 14th from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Sears Atrium, George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre (245 Church St.) in Toronto.
The day’s schedule includes mentorship sessions, a panel discussion on internships, and workshops on building a career in media.
The event is free to attend and food and drink will be provided throughout the day.
For the full schedule and to register, check out the Media Worker Forum Eventbrite page.
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Oct 27-Nov 2
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:
- Rogers pulling Flare magazine from newsstands next year [Globe and Mail]
- Online journal offers perspective on intern debate [J-Source]
- Meltdown at The Walrus [Canadaland]
- Two CBC unions call on network president and board to resign [J-Source]
- Why 3 Canadian newspapers gave up on the tablet edition [Poynter]
- Carve out your writing niche and then own it! [PWAC Toronto]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- So you want to be a freelancer… [CNBC]
- Help! For Writers: 10 things to do when you can’t think of anything to write [Poynter]
- How one freelancer relentlessly pursued a deadbeat client – and won [Freelancers Union]
- Making This Common Query Letter Mistake? Here’s Your Pitch Fix [The Write Life]
- You can’t pay your rent with ‘the unique platform and reach our site provides’ [Wil Wheaton]
- Will the Real Yelp for Journalists Please Stand Up? [Observer Innovation] (via @Romenesko)
- Being a generalist will not get you as far as having a niche: A Q&A with Susan Grossman [Journalism.co.uk]
Last week on Story Board:
- Allie Wilkinson — a ‘how did you do it?’ profile: Allie Wilkinson is a Washington DC based freelance science journalist. I met her at a freelancer workshop called Courage Camp in Colorado in August 2014, and since that time, I’ve followed her online and seen her career flourish.
- A discussion about kill fees at The Walrus — Storified: There was an interesting discussion on the Toronto Freelance Writers and Editors email listserv earlier this week. The discussion was started by a writer who had been commissioned by The Walrus to write a feature story…
- Forum on Unpaid Internships in Vancouver on November 4: Unpaid work has become increasingly normalized over the past few years. Internships are seen as valuable opportunities that offer a way for workers — especially younger ones — to break into many different industries…
- Follow the Money — How to Find Clients & Structure Deals for Freelance Success: The vast majority of people who have left the 9-5 grind in search of this idyllic freelance life have quickly learned that it’s not all sunshine and lollipops…
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.
Allie Wilkinson: A “how did you do it?” profile.
by Lesley Evans Ogden
Allie Wilkinson is a Washington DC based freelance science journalist. I met her at a freelancer workshop called Courage Camp in Colorado in August 2014, and since that time, I’ve followed her online and seen her career flourish.
Wilkinson is the founder of a blog called, “This is what a scientist looks like,” a project designed to challenge stereotypes about our perceptions of scientists. Her work also appears in places like Scientific American, Popular Science, Wired, Discover, Science, National Geographic News, Slate, and Popular Mechanics.
Over the past year she has also broken in at Nature, earned as spot as a contributor at Forbes, and published her first article in the New York Times.
Those are pretty impressive additions to any journalists’ resumé, so I was intrigued to find out how she went about cultivating these new opportunities.
The following are excerpts from my recent interview with Wilkinson.
Was there a particular strategy that you took in approaching these new places?
Two of the opportunities came about through networking. With Nature, I actually met the editor at Trivia Night at the National Press Club. Friends had taken me along. I was not thinking of it in a professional capacity, and then during introductions, I found out that one of the people on our team was an editor. She was very interested in having environmental reporters, so she gave me her card.
Read the rest of this post »
Forum on unpaid internships in Vancouver on November 4
Unpaid work has become increasingly normalized over the past few years. Internships are seen as valuable opportunities that offer a way for workers — especially younger ones — to break into many different industries. But they are also insecure, lacking in oversight and potentially exploitative. Where should we draw the line on unpaid internships? A forum in Vancouver next week will address that question and look at the ways in which organizations can help advocate for fair working conditions.
Confronting Internships: A Forum on Reforming Unpaid Work is a celebration to launch a special issue of the Journal tripleC called Interrogating Internships: Unpaid Work, Creative Industries, and Higher Education. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, November 4 from 7 to 9pm at the SFU Centre for Dialogue (580 West Hastings St.).
Enda Brophy, Assistant Professor with SFU’s School of Communication, is one of the event’s organizers. He says that, unlike Ontario, western Canada hasn’t yet seen much public debate around the politics of internships.
“In organizing this forum we are aiming to bring attention to this urgent topic, but also to begin a conversation on how the internship system can best be transformed to suit the needs of the countless young people for whom it has become a necessary (and often exploitative) stepping stone to accessing their jobs of choice,” he told Story Board this week via email.
Forum speakers will include John Arthur (board member of the Canadian Intern Association), Eric Glatt (a founding member of Intern Labor Rights in the United States), and Iain Reeve (an organizer at the Generation Squeeze campaign, a project lobbying for more stable living and working conditions for young Canadians).
The event is free to attend. For more information or to RSVP, check out this Eventbrite page.
Follow the Money: How to Find Clients & Structure Deals for Freelance Success
by Miranda Miller
Ah, the freelance life… lazing on the beach, trying not to tip the hammock as you reach for that one last piña colada you’ll allow yourself before settling in for your two hours of afternoon writing.
Or maybe you’re the type of freelancer who bakes all day, between keeping a spotless house and nurturing impeccable gardens, with all that time you spend at home.
Okay, time for a reality check.
So, About That…
In truth, the vast majority of people who have left the 9-5 grind in search of this idyllic freelance life have quickly learned that it’s not all sunshine and lollipops. Internet gurus promise vast riches in a 10-hour work week, but in truth, only the top 19% of American freelancers make $50,000 or more, including the 5% of freelancers smashing through the six-figure ceiling.
Read the rest of this post »
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Oct 20-26
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:
- Postmedia cancels evening tablet editions [J-Source]
- Postmedia targets cost-cutting as it seeks new revenue streams [Globe and Mail]
- New research: print magazine readers outnumber digital 2 to 1 [Magazines Canada]
- Freed Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy sets sights on change [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- As reporter networks fragment, startup seeks to fill gap [Poynter]
- Why I Hired an Editor to Help Me Polish My Personal Essay [The Write Life]
- Working From Home: Awesome or Awful? [The Atlantic]
- Can WordRates Help You Earn More Money as a Freelance Journalist? [The Write Life]
- Why HuffPo and other ‘new’ media journalists are choosing unions [The Conversation]
- 25 Things You Should Probably Outsource [The Freelancer]
- Story dust: Lessons learned on feature writing from Lane DeGregory [Poynter]
- Vice blacks out homepages and social media to call for the release of journalist Mohammed Rasool [Nieman Lab]
- How to Use the Pomodoro Technique as a Freelance Writer [The Write Life]
- Why some promising freelance platforms fail [IJNet]
Last week on Story Board:
- Ali Mustafa Memorial Award for freelance photojournalists application deadline Nov. 1: A new award honouring a freelance photojournalist killed in Syria is now accepting applications. The deadline to apply for the first annual Ali Mustafa Memorial Award for People’s Journalism is Sunday, November 1st…
- Debate on unpaid internships still evolving: The past few years have seen a crackdown on corporations and organizations that are still hiring unpaid interns. Despite the pushback, there is still a demand for internships, most unpaid…
- Keeping in touch with clients: The client put my business card on his desk. He had held onto it since 2003, after we had worked together on a safety newsletter. That’s right, since 2003. I was stunned…
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.
