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:

• Broken Pencil celebrates two decades of 'zining [Canadian Magazines]
• The Syrup Trap brings its humour to print [Masthead]
• Wrongful dismissal suit by The Tyee EIC has been settled [Canadian Magazines]
• The Sad Story of Canadian Geographic [Canadaland]
• CBC urged to find new funding models [Globe and Mail]

From The U.S. and beyond:

• In public memo, Gawker founder advocates for a more humane company [Poynter]
• The '9 to 5' job is going extinct [Christian Science Monitor]
• Inside the conflicted mind of a freelancer [The Freelancer]
• How to handle a time crunch [Freelancers Union]
• Citing "an inflection point in global media," Pearson sells the Financial Times to Nikkei [Nieman Lab]
• Why Research Will Make or Break Any Journalist’s Career [The Freelancer]
• Taylor Swift makes concessions on photography contract [Poynter]
• NPAA helps revise Taylor Swift credential agreement [NPAA]

Last week on Story Board:

• Newspapers reject overreaching freelance photography contracts: Freelance photographers have something to celebrate this week: a little pushback from newspapers against overreaching contracts for concert photography...
• 7 Must-Have Social Media Tools for Freelance Writers: In my column on growing your freelance business in 2015, one of my “must-haves” for you this year was a beefed-up social media presence. So… how’s that going for you? Here are some of my favourite social media tools to help you on your way...

 

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.