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:

• Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is part of a journalist’s job, say panelists [J-Source]
• Magazine industry fight over too many awards leads to split – and more awards [Globe and Mail]
• Memo: CBC Aboriginal to be renamed CBC Indigenous [J-Source]
• Canadian Magazine Awards unveiled by Magazines Canada [Canadian Magazines]
• UBC, Globe and Mail win 2016 Online Journalism Awards [J-Source]
• National Magazine Awards announces important changes to board and procedures [Canadian Magazines]

From The U.S. and beyond:

• How One Freelancer Broke Into ‘The New Yorker’ From Afar [The Freelancer]
• 7 ways to be a more productive freelance writer [Mediabistro]
• Freelancers included in NYC anti-discrimination legislation [Freelancers Union]
• Telling visual stories: Photography tips for journalists [Journalism.co.uk]
• 'Pause, pace, pattern, register': The power of words in radio storytelling [Journalism.co.uk]
• 5 Keys to Writing a Q&A Piece People Actually Want to Read [The Freelancer]
• How journalists can better protect themselves from doxxing [Journalism.co.uk]
• 7 Comedy-Writing Techniques Nonfiction Writers Can Use [The Write Life]
• The 5 Required Courses You'd Take if You Majored in Freelancing [The Freelancer]

Recently on Story Board:

• The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #32 -- Jennifer Van Evra: Jennifer Van Evra is a Vancouver writer, broadcaster and university instructor. Her work has appeared in publications including the Globe and Mail, the Vancouver Sun, Vancouver magazine, the Georgia Straight, Mother Jones and more...
• The Born Freelancer on Embracing Procrastination: I can’t believe I haven’t written about this yet. I guess I’ve just been… putting it off. Which makes perfect sense because most of my friends don’t call me “The Born Freelancer.” To them, I’m more “The Born Procrastinator”...
• National Magazine Awards Foundation announces new initiatives: The National Magazine Awards Foundation announced a number of changes this week. In a press release yesterday, the foundation said that the changes are designed to “maintain and advance the NMAF’s 40-year status as the gold standard of creative excellence”...

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.