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 Story Behind the Rob Ford Story [The Walrus]
• The first line of accountability on campus: student journalism [Globe and Mail]
• North Shore Outlook shutting down [J-Source]
• Finding New Clients: One Freelancer’s Path to Building a Business [PWAC Toronto]
• Canadian freelance photojournalist Ali Mustafa killed in Syria [J-Source]

From the U.S. and beyond:

• Writers Say 'Not So Fast, Amtrak Residency' [Poetry Foundation] (via @twuc)
• 10 Great apps for busy freelancers: accounting, contracts, etc. [Freelancers Union]
• Can Twitter Help Publishers Reinvent Books? [Fast Company] (via @twuc)
• 10 Apps to Help You Stay Focused on Your Writing [janetfriedman.com] (via @thewritelife)
• Things I Miss About Working in an Office (Really) [The Freelance Strategist]
• Upworthy partners with ProPublica and advocacy media groups on original content [Nieman Lab]
• The new dream job... And the end of old-media prestige [CJR]
• Changing the Culture of Freelance Writing [Get Paid to Write Online] (via @freelance_hacks)

This week on Story Board:

• CUP's fundraising campaign underway: The Canadian University Press’s fundraising campaign is underway, but the national campus newspaper co-operative still has a long way to go before it reaches its $50,000 goal...

 

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.