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

• Leonard Asper speaks about the demise of Canwest [J-Source]
• We wanted to believe in OpenFile's community journalism - but the dream is dead [Globe and Mail]
• Western Magazine Awards submissions due in a week [Masthead]
• Reader's Digest Canada focussing even more on print while U.S. parent flounders [Canadian Mags]
• TC Media senior VP Ted Markle promoted to president [Canadian Mags]
• Non-profit communications trends, and what they mean for freelance writers [PWAC Toronto] (via @jaclynlaw)

 

From the U.S. and beyond:

• How to solve your most difficult writing problems [Poynter]
• How to Start a Magazine (and Make a Profit) [NPR] (via @Mediagazer)
• Amazon, Big Six publishers face antitrust suit from indie bookstores [The Verge] (@NiemanLab)
• The Fearful Freelancer: Getting Over Your Self-Promotion Phobia [Freelance Switch] (via @freelancersu)
• 8 Contract Clauses You Should Never Freelance Without [Hongkiat.com] (via @freelancecom)
• British news organizations spurn freelance reporting from Syria [Poynter]
• 25 Companies With the Highest-Paying Internships [Bloomberg Businessweek] (via @karenatcmg)

 

From Story Board last week:

• The Born Freelancer Looks Into Marketing: It’s one of those ubiquitous buzz words every freelancer will encounter sooner or later – marketing. You read a lot of unsolicited advice about it these days. Some of it seems contradictory or at the very least confusing. I wanted to find out what I should know about it as a professional freelancer in 2013...

 

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.