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:

• Strike Out: Labour disputes and shoddy reporting—is this the end of the Halifax Chronicle Herald? [The Walrus]
• The Winnipeg Free Press' bet on micropayments will generate about $100K in revenue this year [Nieman Lab]
• SABEW Canada's Best in Business Awards night [SABEW]
• Why does Black Press buy and then close small BC papers? [J-Source]
• CBC declines to turn over Panama Papers data to CRA [CBC]
• Halifax Chronicle Herald retracts refugee story after public outcry [Globe and Mail]
• Chronicle Herald pulls article widely criticized for targeting refugees [J-Source]

From The U.S. and beyond:

• 6 secrets to a stress-free transition from full-time to freelance [Freelancers Union]
• VICE workers bargain big pay hike and rights on books, TV, movie deals [Poynter]
• The 6 Best Arguments for Why Unpaid Internships Make Absolutely No Sense [Vox]
• 5 lessons freelancers can learn from Stephen King [Freelancers Union]
• ‘Pretend You’re a White Male': Freelance Writing’s Gender Problem [The Freelancer]
• How to Take Vacation as a Freelancer [The Freelancer]
• Take These Essential Steps to Crafting Your Personal Brand [Mediabistro]
• Is going solo a good idea? These journalists are giving it a try [Poynter]
• The journalist’s guide to shameless self-promotion [Poynter]

Last week on Story Board:

• The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #28 -- Jane Auster: Jane Auster is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist based in Toronto. She has written for such publications as Toronto Life, Maclean’s, Canadian Business, and The Toronto Star...
• The Freelancer's Toolbox: CMG Freelance has professional development events coming up in Toronto and Vancouver...

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.