Ali Mustafa Memorial Lecture
Update: the venue has been changed for this event. The new venue is Library Lecture Theatre at Ryerson University.
Ali Mustafa was a Toronto-based freelance photojournalist who was killed while working in Syria on March 9th, 2014. Shortly after his death, a group of his friends and colleagues set up the Ali Mustafa Memorial Collective to honour his life by offering an annual award for freelancers.
The group’s first fundraising event is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 7pm. The event will feature two speakers: Sharif Abdel Kouddous (Democracy Now, The Nation Institute) and Jihan Hafiz (Al Jazeera, The Real News Network). Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door with all proceeds going towards the establishment of the award.
The event is sponsored by the Ali Mustafa Memorial Collective, the Canadian Media Guild Freelance Branch, and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression. Details about the award will be announced during the event and the first award will be given in 2016.
To buy your ticket to the event, click here. For more information about the event or the award, you can email rememberingali84@gmail.com.
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Feb 24-Mar 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:
- The harsh reality of non-fiction writing [Globe and Mail]
- I was the only writer left at Canada.com [Ryeron Review]
- Levant crowdfunding campaign raises roughly $100,000 for latest media venture [National Post]
- Between e-books and Amazon, how do authors get paid? [Metro News] (via @AndersonDargatz)
- Why does a freelancer’s copyright matter? [J-Source]
- Sunny Widerman Discussing Taxes for Freelancers [EAC Toronto]
- NPAC president John Lehmann on why volunteer photography is a bad idea [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Conduct Better Phone Interviews: 5 Strategies for Freelance Writers [The Write Life]
- How to look for gigs without going crazy [Freelancers Union]
- Lives on the line: how to help protect freelancers in dangerous places [The Guardian]
- Stop underpaying writers [Freelancers Union]
- Why Freelancers Should Spend More Time on Social Media in 2015 [The Freelancer]
- Six questions journalists should ask when evaluating a rumor [IJNET]
- How to stay productive when you’re unsupervised [Freelancers Union]
- The 5 Biggest Misconceptions Freelancers Have About Pitching [The Freelancer]
- 10 David Carr Quotes to Remember Always [The Freelancer]
- How to Use the Pomodoro Technique as a Freelance Writer [The Write Life]
Last week on Story Board:
- The Born Freelancer on Producing Your Radio Drama Script: Some time ago I wrote about the challenges and benefits of writing a radio drama script, especially for those who had never previously considered it….
- Peter Smoczynski on independent filmmaking, risk, and the value of a freelancers’ union: Peter Smoczynski says that joining the Canadian Media Guild’s freelance branch was a turning point in the production of his latest film. “I didn’t feel I was alone anymore,” he says…
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 on Producing Your Radio Drama Script
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.
Some time ago I wrote about the challenges and benefits of writing a radio drama script, especially for those who had never previously considered it. My posts dealt with researching the genre and writing the script.
Ideally, you will have submitted your script to any number of independent production companies or international public broadcasters for possible purchase. Sadly, our own CBC Radio has abandoned its historic role as Canada’s first national theatre by eliminating drama from its schedule as a result of draconian budget cuts.
But what if your script has not sold? Why not bring it to life yourself for the world to hear?
Aside from the satisfaction of hearing your words properly enacted, such a process will give you additional skills and experience, exposure and promotion of your brand and an exciting example of your creativity which you can use to help find future work.
Today I propose to outline the process of producing your own script on a “one-off” basis at little or no cost (assuming you have little or no money to do so).
Peter Smoczynski on independent filmmaking, risk, and the value of a freelancers’ union
by Rachel Sanders
Peter Smoczynski says that joining the Canadian Media Guild’s freelance branch was a turning point in the production of his latest film.
“I didn’t feel I was alone anymore,” he says.
Although the Ottawa-based filmmaker has spent the majority of his 40-year career working independently, it was a relief to have the union behind him this time around. When you’re taking on the government, after all, it’s good to have some support.
His new film “Election Day in Canada: When Voter Suppression Comes Calling” explores the 2011 election Robocalls scandal. Smoczynski is pushing to get it finished in time for the 2015 federal election.
“It’s a really tough way to make a living,” Smoczynski says of independent filmmaking. He cites an article that ran in the Globe and Mail last spring that outlines many of the challenges.
Except at CBC, he says, rates for documentary filmmaking haven’t gone up in 25 years. Competition is fierce and independent studios have to squeeze every dollar they can out of their budgets. But although it’s a tough go for all independent filmmakers, a project like Smoczynski’s has an even harder time.
“The deck, financially, is stacked against somebody like me who is making a film like this. Who is outside the box,” he told Story Board during a recent phone interview.
Read the rest of this post »
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Feb 18-23
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:
- Calgary alt-weekly FFWD to cease print production on March 5 [J-Source]
- “Kobo launches $10,000 Emerging Writer Prize” [Quill & Quire]
- Setting new safety standards for freelance journalists in conflict zones [J-Source]
- 7 things winning a CBC Literary Prize can do for your writing career [CBC]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- 5 ways to cope with freelancer isolation [Freelancers Union]
- Cotton years, cashmere years — what full-time freelance is really like [Broadside Blog]
- Telegraph’s Peter Oborne resigns, saying HSBC coverage a ‘fraud on readers’ [The Guardian]
- Talking About Money: Why Writers Need to Be More Honest About How We Earn [The Write Life]
- Infographic: What’s the Going Rate for Freelance Writers? [Contently]
- New survey reveals everything you think about freelancing is true [CJR]
- Pulitzer Center Joins Call for Worldwide Freelance Protection Standards [Pulitzer Center] (via @freelance_hacks)
- 10 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Freelancing [Medium]
Last week on Story Board:
- Why does a freelancer’s copyright matter?: In the wake of our recent post about a contract dispute between a group of freelancers and the non-profit broadcaster Accessible Media Inc., it seems like a good time for a refresher on the topic of copyright and moral rights…
- President of NPAC decries Black Press newspaper’s call for volunteer photographers: Stories about the devaluing of photojournalism are all too common these days, but it’s still shocking when things hit a new low…
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.
Why does a freelancer’s copyright matter?
by Rachel Sanders
In the wake of our recent post about a contract dispute between a group of freelancers and the non-profit broadcaster Accessible Media Inc., it seems like a good time for a refresher on the topic of copyright and moral rights.
As a freelancer, why should you protect your copyright? What are moral rights, anyway? How might these issues affect you? We turned to some of the Canadian Media Guild’s resident experts to explain.
WHY PROTECT YOUR COPYRIGHT?
CMG Freelance branch president Don Genova urges freelancers to try and preserve their copyright whenever possible. Your ideas, after all, are your bread and butter.
“Ownership of our work is money in our pockets,” says Genova.
“All the hard work we do in creating a product should not be simply ‘given away’ to a publisher or commissioner because they insist on it.”
At the same time, he says, remember that if you sell a story and the publisher demands copyright, the copyright exists “only on that particular set of words that gets published.”
Read the rest of this post »
President of NPAC decries Black Press newspaper’s call for volunteer photographers
by Rachel Sanders
Stories about the devaluing of photojournalism are all too common these days, but it’s still shocking when things hit a new low. When John Lehmann, president of the News Photographers Association of Canada, heard that a newspaper in Victoria was advertising for volunteer photographers to cover weekend events, he found the news jaw-dropping. Even more so, he says, when he learned that the Black Press-owned Victoria News had recently laid off its staff photographer.
The Black Press-owned publication posted their advertisement on February 3rd and it soon attracted the attention of other media outlets. Vancouver CBC Radio host Stephen Quinn tweeted about it and CKNW reported on it the next day. The Victoria News took the ad down soon after CKNW contacted them for comment (here’s a cached version).
Lehmann says that using unpaid photographers has serious implications for media outlets. First of all, he says, there are ethical considerations. Trained photojournalists learn about journalistic ethics both in school and during job training.
“You have to be honest in your storytelling, that’s really one of the basic foundations of journalism. So if we’re going out into the workforce to look for volunteers, we don’t know: what is their credibility? Where have they come from? What’s their instructional background? Who are they working for?”
Quality, says Lehmann, is another reason media outlets should be hiring professionals for their photography. The NPPA recently did a study that demonstrated that photographs taken by professionals are more likely to be appreciated and shared by readers. But it’s not just readers who are affected by a publication’s quality.
Read the rest of this post »
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Feb 10-17
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:
- Public editor criticizes The Star’s Gardasil story [Toronto Star]
- Unravelling of Zoomer deal final blow for Sun News [Globe and Mail]
- Sun News Network shuts down, putting 200 out of work [National Post]
- Pioneering Toronto Star baseball writer Alison Gordon dead at 72 [Toronto Star]
- The Toronto Star’s Gardasil controversy: A timeline [J-Source]
- 2015 Alberta Magazine Achievement Awards Winners Announced [AMPA]
- ‘We failed.’ Toronto Star publisher says the paper’s HPV vaccine article ‘let down’ readers [CBC]
- Unions still needed to protect journalists’ integrity in the face of creeping advertorial [RRJ]
- Freelancers fighting full copyright claim by non-profit media company [J-Source]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- Autopsy Cites Cancer as Cause in Death of David Carr [NYT]
- “Keep typing until it turns into writing”: David Carr’s invaluable advice for journalists [Vox]
- 5 Lies You Tell Yourself That Keep You from Becoming an Awesome Writer [The Write Life]
- Ask a Freelancer: How Do I Handle These 3 Common Pitch Problems? [The Freelancer]
- Major news organizations to reveal new freelancer safety guidelines [Poynter]
- Don’t get fired: Why you should be discreet on social media [Freelancers Union]
- Yes, LinkedIn Can Help Freelancers Make Money. Here’s How [The Freelancer]
- Where’s Our WGA? The Union Situation for Freelancers [Scratch Magazine]
- The ultimate list of freelancer tax deductions [Freelancers Union]
- Newspaper group charges students £120 for chance of a by-line [NUJ]
- This is my best advice to young journalists [Vox]
- The Hidden Cost of a Flexible Job [The Atlantic]
- Infographic: The huge gap betweendigital and print rates for freelancers [Contently]
Last week on Story Board:
- Toronto freelancer goes the distance to pursue non-paying client: Most freelancers have had to deal with it at some point in their careers – a client who is slow to process invoices, or, worse, one that’s deliberately avoiding paying their contractors. Chasing down a paycheque can be frustrating, humiliating and damaging to your productivity…
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.
Toronto freelancer goes the distance to pursue non-paying client
Most freelancers have had to deal with it at some point in their careers – a client who is slow to process invoices, or, worse, one that’s deliberately avoiding paying their contractors. Chasing down a paycheque can be frustrating, humiliating and damaging to your productivity.
Sometimes it seems easier to just give up on that long-unpaid invoice and chalk the lost income up to experience. Is it really worth all the time and energy necessary to track down late payment?
Toronto corporate communications writer and marketing consultant Flavian DeLima thinks it is. Over the past three years he has spent considerable time and energy pursuing payment for work he did in 2011. The chase took him to court in Ontario to litigate against a European company in Oslo, Norway that refused to pay what they owed him.
DeLima understands why many writers decide not to pursue delinquent clients, but he wants to share the story of his legal victory for the benefit of freelancers who are considering taking legal action themselves.
Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Feb 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:
- MLA Andrew Weaver Wins Libel Decision Against National Post [The Tyee]
- Layoffs and voluntary buyout program announced at Postmedia [J-Source]
- Postmedia cuts national writer jobs, offers newsroom buyouts [Globe and Mail]
- Freelancers fighting full copyright claim by non-profit media company [Rabble]
- How Internet journalists *can* organize [CMG]
- Egypt’s jailing of Mohamed Fahmy: A timeline [Toronto Star]
- As Postmedia Withers, Is a Newspaper-less Vancouver Imminent? [The Tyee]
From The U.S. and beyond:
- 4 common productivity tips that are actually the worst [Mashable]
- 10 Apps That Will Make Any Freelancer More Creative [The Freelancer]
- The Most Important Skills You Need to Start a Writing Career [Lifehacker]
- Freelance vs. day job: Don’t compromise just to pay the bills [Freelancers Union]
- How kill fees ruin writers, hurt magazines and destroy journalism [Scott Carney]
- How to find details that make a powerful story [Poynter]
- The Key to Keeping Clients Happy, Even When Delivering Bad News [The Write Life]
- Canadian media startups are watching the watchdogs [Al Jazeera]
- Financial Times agrees to pay all interns minimum wage for the first time [Press Gazette]
Last week on Story Board:
- The Born Freelancer on Striving for Perfection: I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the relationship between those ideas which inspire me most and the monumental task of transforming them into reality…
- Radio freelancers battle for copyright: In the two and a half years since I’ve been the editor of Story Board, I’ve posted all kinds of news and opinion pieces about negotiations and disputes over freelance contracts…
- Concerts in support of CBC planned for Ottawa and Montreal: Two citizen groups are holding concerts in support of CBC over the coming weeks…
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.
