Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?

From Canada:

• New Magazines Canada program supports paid interns for members [Magazines Canada]
• BuzzFeed Canada news staff officially members of Canadian Media Guild [CWA Canada]
• Court decision a victory for journalists covering Indigenous protests [APTN News]
• 2019 Canadian Magazine Writing Contests: The Ultimate Guide [Magazine Awards]
• The Trudeau government's tax subsidy for journalism puts the Halifax Examiner in an impossible situation [J-Source]
• Huge and True: BuzzFeed Canada editorial employees receive union certification [Medium]
• Black Press axing half of Alberta daily’s unionized staff [CWA Canada]
• Clean Up Your Copy: 10 Common Spelling and Grammar Errors [Magazines Canada]
• Throwing Money at Media Won’t Fix Canada’s News Deficit [The Tyee]
• Liberals’ journalism funding makes it harder to launch news startups [The Discourse]

From The U.S. and beyond:

• How freelancers are fighting for their pay [Financial Times]
• Hidden Gold: A Massive Freelancing Niche Overlooked by Most Writers [Freelance Writing Jobs]
• Vice Media Agrees to $1.87 Million Settlement for Paying Female Staffers Less Than Men [Hollywood Reporter]
• How to vet PR industry claims [Open Notebook]
• Yes, Freelance Writers Can Take a Real Vacation: Here’s How [The Write Life]
• This is the one simple act that helps me be more creative [Fast Company]

Recently on Story Board:

• CMG members vote 80% in favour of ratifying new deal with CBC: CBC workers who are represented by CWA Canada through its largest Local, the Canadian Media Guild (CMG), have voted 80 per cent in favour of ratifying a new collective agreement with the public broadcaster...
• Vancouver freelancers invited to NPAC "mix and mingle": BC media freelancers are invited to a “Mix and Mingle” with members of the News Photographers Association of Canada as they begin their conference in Vancouver next month...

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.