Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer August 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: 

• With jobs for life dead, today’s workers forced to be flexible [Globe and Mail]
• Bell Canada cancels massive unpaid-internship program [Toronto Star] 
• Magazine finalists announced for the 2014 WMA competition [Western Magazine Awards]
• Kevin O'Leary to leave CBC News [Newswire]
• Winnipeg MP clarifies CBC-cuts comment [Winnipeg Free Press] (via @karenatcmg)

 

From the U.S. and beyond:

• “I’m not happy”: What to do when a client hates your work [Freelancers Union]
• When should you turn down freelance work? [Contently]
• How to procrastinate productively [Freelancers Union]
• Why It’s So Hard to Catch Your Own Typos [Wired]
• Media organizations to police in Ferguson: ‘We are appalled’ [Poynter]
• Journalists fight through tear gas, sirens, smoke to report on Ferguson [Poynter]
• Know your (copy)rights [Freelancers Union]
• Crap someone should have told you writers by now [Rebecca T. Dickson] (via @dongenova)
• Ask A Freelancer: How Do I Deal With a Client Piling on Extra Work? [Contently]
• 5 healthy habits for working at home [The Self Employed] (via @freelancersu)
• A Terrible Year for Newspapers, a Good Year for News [The Atlantic] (via @journochat)
• The growing pay gap between journalism and public relations [Pew Research] (via @NiemanLab)

 

Last week on Story Board:

• Working Journalists aims to improve conditions for Chicago-area freelancers: Rob Dicker felt totally secure in his position as staff photographer with Pioneer Press. He had skills, seniority and a great relationship with his manager. So it came as a total shock when he was called into a meeting in May 2013 by his newspaper’s corporate owner, Sun-Times Media...

 

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.