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 problem with Postmedia [Toronto Star]
• Another Canadian paper went -30- today [Poynter]
• 149-year-old Canadian paper’s final front page is pretty much perfect  [Poynter]
• The Chronicle Herald proposed contract could remove union, legal experts say [CBC]
• Nanaimo Daily News night editor Paul Walton: Ship of state now sails with no rudder [J-Source]
• Contract Fundamentals: A Lawyer’s Perspective [Living Freelance]
• Let's Talk About How My Job at Bell Gave Me Mental Health Issues and No Benefits [Canadaland]
• Rogers Media to cut approximately 200 jobs [Masthead]
• Guelph Mercury ends print edition [J-Source]
• Black Press closes Nanaimo Daily News after 141 years of publishing [CBC]

From The U.S. and beyond:

• The Rookie Guide to Freelance Writing [Mediabistro]
• What Is ‘Corporate Writing’ and Why Is It Such a Great Gig? [Mediabistro]
• Oxford literary festival to consider paying authors, following outcry [The Guardian]
• Freelancing and Labor Law: A Short History [The Freelancer]
• Pitch Fix: Before Submitting Your Story Idea, Consider Your Research Options [The Write Life]
• What Makes a Good Magazine Story? [Mediabistro]
• The 5 Most Popular Platforms for Finding Sources, Ranked [The Freelancer]

Last week on Story Board:

• The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #26 -- Arno Kopecky: Arno Kopecky won the 2015 Dave Greber Freelance Writers Award for his article Title Fight, which ran in the Walrus last summer...
• CMG Freelance launches media card program: The Freelance Branch of the Canadian Media Guild will now offer a media card, available to its journalist members...

 

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.