How to respond when a publication wants you to indemnify them
By Sara Tatelman Congratulations — a new editor is really excited about your pitch, and you’re really excited to get paid to investigate something you care about. All that’s left is to sign the contract. But then you read it, all nine pages, and your heart sinks. The contract requires you to indemnify the publisher […]
The rise of indemnification clauses in freelance contracts
By Sara Tatelman When Toronto journalist Jesse Brown wanted to break the Jian Ghomeshi story, he knew couldn’t do so on his independent podcast Canadaland. At the time, he didn’t have any libel insurance, and several lawyers told him that while he could take steps to ensure he could win a libel lawsuit, provided he […]
Indemnity clauses – the rickety bridges of freelancing
by Lesley Evans Ogden Imagine you want to climb up a mountain to a beautiful viewpoint. You’ve done some research, figured out how to get to the trailhead, packed your backpack, and climbed most of the way up the mountain. But on the final ascent you arrive at a deep chasm. The only way across […]
Writers speak out against The Walrus’s new freelance agreement
Last fall, The Walrus’s contributor agreement came under scrutiny during what is referred to by many freelancers as “the Alex Gillis affair.” The incident – which you can read about in detail on Canadaland – led to a discussion on the Toronto Freelance Editors and Writers listserv about kill fees and “idea appropriation.” Literary agent […]
Another freelancer alleges “idea appropriation” by The Walrus
During the past year, management at The Walrus magazine has been accused of poor treatment of staff and freelancers. This month, another freelance writer has come to Story Board with new allegations. Ontario writer Ann Silversides told Story Board that she pitched a story about a new business to The Walrus last July. The magazine told […]
Crackdown on unpaid internships a positive step, but the collective struggle must continue
This week, the Ontario Ministry of Labour told The Walrus and Toronto Life to bring their internship programs into compliance with the Employment Standards Act (ESA). Both publications had a long history of offering full time, months-long, unpaid internships for contributing to the main work of the publication. Instead of apologizing and figuring out […]
The E-Book Show Down: Part Three
E-books are emerging as the latest battleground between writers and print publishers seeking to monetize online content. In this “reset” moment, writers need to be sure they set a fair precedent early on. Read Part One and Part Two of this three-part series. By Derek Finkle The Walrus In late October, The Walrus approached […]
Smart on the page, smart on the screen—smart for the writers?
According to this recent Postmedia News article, it’s getting harder to fund documentaries in Canada. So the kind of partnership The Walrus and High Fidelity HDTV have announced—making documentaries “inspired” by Walrus stories and broadcasting them on High Fidelity’s eqhd channel and on WalrusTV—might be what the industry needs to continue putting our non-fiction stories […]
