Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer July 5-11

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:

• Postmedia announces plan to reduce $648 million debt [J-Source]
• Who still believes Postmedia is Canadian controlled? [The Tyee]
• Shrinking press galleries leave little time for journalists to dig deep [J-Source]
• Briarpatch magazine supporters step up; it is going to double contributor rates [Canadian Magazines]
• Ryerson reporting project on Truth and Reconciliation makes waves [J-Source]

From The U.S. and beyond:

• Why Successful Freelancers Must Make Time for Self-Care [The Write Life]
• What to Do at Every Stage of a Late Payment [The Freelancer]
• How to pitch for the holidays [Mediabistro]
• 5 Ways to Set Yourself Up for Full-Time Freelance Writing Success [The Write Life]
• Vice Contract Requires All Rights, Photographers to Pay for Any Losses [Fstoppers]
• How BuzzFeed wants to use its social media acumen to take on the hoaxers [Nieman Lab]

Last week on Story Board:

• Freelancers helped invent digital communication tools to build online networks: Before the Internet and World Wide Web became fully commercialized in the mid-1990s, freelance writers and photographers began using computer networks as organizing tools as early as 1992...
• New monthly payment option for CMG Freelance members: Good news, CMG Freelance members: there’s now a brand new way to pay your dues...

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.