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:

• Federal scientists closely monitored during polar conference [CBC News] (via @cmgveep)
• Three Canadians nominated for Commonwealth Book Prize [National Post/Afterword]
• At CAJ's digital news conference, easy Wi-Fi will be hard to find [OpenFile Toronto] (via @WilfDinnick)
• How to become an e-book sensation. Seriously. [Globe & Mail]

From the U.S. and beyond:

• Author faces civil suit over 'Three Cups of Tea' [Yahoo News] (via @TimesRoman)
• Google closes down online news payment system One Pass [Journalism.co.uk] (via @tscurrie)
• TV corrects itself, just not on the air [New York Times]
• Ira Glass says he hasn’t talked to Mike Daisey since ‘Retraction’ aired [Poynter.org]
• Unsolicited advice to young writers: The internet remembers [The Raw Story] (via @mediagazer)
• Tribune Company does deal with Journatic [Chicago Reader]
• Study: J-school grads’ unemployment rate better than average [Poynter.org] (via @mediagazer)
• Think proofreading isn’t important? Think again… [The Urban Muse] (via @eac_acr)
• Freelancers Union to New York State: Stop letting independent workers get stiffed [GigaOM] (via @FreelanceSw)

From Story Board last week:

• Profile of CBC’s Kirstine Stewart continues CWG’s nonfiction ebook series: All eyes are on the CBC after the federal government announced it would cut 10 per cent of its budget. It’s likely Kirstine Stewart, the broadcaster’s executive vice-president in charge of English programming, is feeling the weight of that gaze more than anyone else at the CBC. In a story that first appeared in Toronto Life's May 2012 issue, Toronto-based writer Jason McBride profiles Stewart, who has raised ratings while dodging rumours about her personal life and championing shows like Dragons’ Den and Being Erica on her mission to “to connect Canadians and facilitate conversations.”
• The Born Freelancer says goodbye to CBC Radio drama: When this year is reviewed many significant deaths will be noted. None feel more deserving of attention today than the announced termination of all radio drama production on CBC.

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Spot a story you think we should include in next week's Off the Wire? Email the link to editor@thestoryboard.ca.

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