Off The Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Nov 29-Dec 5

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:

• Opinion: Furor over CBC’s opinion section is a tempest in an inkpot [J-Source]
• Kellie Leitch Forgets to Buy Canadian Domain, Promptly Gets Trolled [Vice]
• Rogers Media lays off 87 employees over 2 days [J-Source]
• Canadian musicians, writers ask federal government to fix creativity business [Globe and Mail]
• Authors, musicians sign open letter to Heritage minister demanding creator-first policies and copyright reform [Quill & Quire]
• CBC/Radio Canada asks for $400M in increased government funding to go ad-free [CBC]
• Canada’s government imagines what a news-less future might look like [Nieman Lab]

From The U.S. and beyond:

• Getty Images/iStock to slash freelance royalties by up to 93% [Freelancers Union]
• Canadian journalist’s detention at U.S. border raises press freedom alarms [New York Times]
• Tip: How to write strong headlines for your stories [Journalism.co.uk]
• 5 ways a personal development plan can help your communications career [Muck Rack]
• BuzzFeed UK Editorial Staff Ask For Union Recognition [BuzzFeed]
• Behold! Our New and Improved Rates Database Is Here [The Freelancer]
• 8 Ways to Strengthen Your Freelance Writing Business Over the Holidays [The Write Life]

Recently on Story Board:

• New CBC opinion section provides more paid writing opportunities for freelancers: Canadian freelance writers have one more potential way to earn money: by selling their ideas to the new opinion section being featured on CBCNews.ca. The opportunity comes at a time when many other Canadian media companies aren’t paying writers for such columns...
• Health insurance for freelancers through the Writers' Coalition Program: Need personal health insurance? Membership in CMG Freelance comes with access to the Writers’ Coalition Program — an affordable health insurance program offered by the not-for-profit insurer AFBS. And accessing the program has become even easier this month with a few updates to the Writers’ Coalition Program website...

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.