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: 

• Live blog: The Democracy Project [J-Source]
• New Indigenous writing awards for emerging authors announced [CBC Books]
• Call for Judges: 41st National Magazine Awards [Magazine Awards]
• New York Times Canadian photo archive a rich resource for journalism researchers [J-Source]

From The U.S. and beyond:

• Female Freelancers Are Paid Way Less Than Men For The Same Creative Jobs [Fast Company]
• Activism and Science Journalism: Where are Your Boundaries? [Open Notebook]
• 5 productivity tips and tools [Freelancers Union]
• 5 Online Networking Tips for New Freelance Writers [The Write Life]
• Freelancing in America in 2017 [Freelancers Union]
• How freelancers can make sure they get paid on time [HBR]
• Safety resources for freelance journalists [Mediabistro]
• A 100% transparent look at my first Medium paycheque [Medium]
• How to Vary Your Sentence Structure (And Stop Boring Your Readers) [The Write Life]
• Freelancers Are Planning For The Future Of Work Faster Than Anyone Else [Fast Company]

Recently on Story Board:

• The Born Freelancer's musings on muses and the origins of inspiration: Every creative person should have muses. Freelancers being no exception. Muses have a solid, pragmatic value to the working professional. They are not solely the province of mystics and visionary artists...
• Blogger or journalist? In Canada, defamation law applies either way: While blogs and message boards often provide a great platform to disseminate information and engage in productive conversations, they also represent a grey area when it comes to defamation laws...

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.