Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Jan 16-22

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: 

• How to write an elevator pitch [Robyn Roste]
• Freelancers, unions use social media to build online, offline community [J-Source]
• A post on interviewing from doctor-turned-writer Vivien Fellegi [PWAC Toronto]
• As local media outlets close, Ontario mayors struggle with how to get information to the public [J-Source]

From The U.S. and beyond:

• The Guardian heads back into the black [Economist]
• How The LA Times Union Won [Huffington Post]
• HuffPost, Breaking From Its Roots, Ends Unpaid Contributions [New York Times]
• 13 things I’ve learned in 13 years of freelancing [Poynter]
• Can slowing down make you more productive? [Freelancers Union]
• "We stepped in and started doing it": How one woman built an award-winning news outlet from her dining room table [Nieman Lab]
• 6 rules for freelancing happiness [Freelancers Union]

Recently on Story Board:

• 2017 SABEW Canada Best in Business awards open for submissions: Freelance business writers, it’s time to get your application together for the SABEW Canada Best in Business awards. The 4th annual awards will be given to work published or broadcast during the 2017 calendar year.
• Andree Lau on increasing diversity in reporting and the newsroom: As newsrooms across the country strive for greater diversity, HuffPost Canada editor-in-chief Andree Lau says there’s a need for a much more nuanced approach than simply “checking the boxes”...

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.