Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Dec 24-Jan 6
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From around the web:
- Flabby writing? Try these 7 tips for toning and trimming text [PR Daily]
- Tip: How to network at events [Journalism.co.uk]
- New year, old fear: What scares you most as a writer? [The Writer]
- New Year’s resolutions for writers [The Writer]
- Your Next Big Book Idea: How to Figure Out Topics to Write About [The Write Life]
- Do we really need to talk so much about the future of work? [Freelancers Union]
- These tips will make you a better writer [Poynter]
- Top European destinations for freelancers [Freelancers Union]
- 7 tips for non-Native journalists covering Indigenous communities [IJNet]
Recently on Story Board:
- The Born Freelancer on Preparing Your Creative Estate: If you passed away tomorrow would your estate know what to do with your work archives? For the vast majority of freelancers, I would posit the answer is a resounding “no”…
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.
The Born Freelancer on Preparing Your Creative Estate
This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
As an old year ends and a new one begins, my thoughts are alternately joyful and ever-so-slightly melancholic.
Joyful, in that the new year promises new hope and a new start, drawing a line under last year’s shortcomings and failures.
Melancholic, in that it is a time to remember plans unfulfilled and also those who have passed.
For purposes of this post, my mind turns to the passing of a colleague with whom I had collaborated on a number of scripts many, many years earlier.
His family called and wanted help in assessing his work archives.
I went over and to my horror found a lifetime’s work in a complete jumble. Files were uncategorized and haphazard, boxes of written materials unsorted and unlabeled, hard drives locked down by unknown passwords and inaccessible.
Attempting to help prioritize and organize such monumental chaos proved beyond my abilities, aside from a superficial tidying up and pointing out of the obvious. (The week of his death he had finally appeared in a favourite national publication. His payment lay amongst the unopened mail on his home office desk.)
The experience shook me up, but more importantly, it forced me to confront the question I am asking you today: If you passed away tomorrow would your estate know what to do with your work archives?
For the vast majority of freelancers, I would posit the answer is a resounding “no”.
Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Dec 17-23
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From around the web:
- National Observer Staff File To Unionize with CMG / CWA Canada [CWA Canada]
- Judge says mischief charge against journalist who covered Muskrat Falls protest can proceed [Globe and Mail]
- Improve your craft by teaching writing [The Writer Magazine]
- I Lost My Life to Airbnb [Narratively]
- Independent Writers Sue California to Protect Rights of Freelancers [ASJA]
- Say What? A Non-Scientific Comparison of Automated Transcription Services [Open Notebook]
- How To Network As a Journalist When You Really, Really Hate It [Journo Resources]
- Networking for introverts [The Writer Magazine]
Recently on Story Board:
- Taking time off when you’re a freelancer: Rest is necessary to fuel creativity and avoid burnout. So how does a freelancer take breaks without losing money, clients or opportunities? Here are a few ideas…
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.
Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Dec 10-16
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From around the web:
- 3 ways for freelancers to set the stage for a fantastic 2020 [Freelancers Union]
- The Great White Nope [Longreads]
- Stop saying local news is dying [Poynter]
- How Remote Workers Make Work Friends [HBR]
- How To Make The Most Of Your Holidays [Freelance Hustle]
- How to migrate your website and keep your SEO rankings [Freelancers Union]
- Tip: Tweetdeck for student journalists [Journalism.co.uk]
- CMG elections 2019 — The final results are in! [CMG]
- The Rise of the Freelance Journalists Union [Seattle IWW]
Recently on Story Board:
- Doc Mentorship Program deadline January 6: CBC Radio has a winter round of mentorships available this year. Experienced audio freelancers are invited to submit a pitch to the program, which is also open to all CBC employees – staff, contract and temps…
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.
Doc Mentorship Program deadline January 6
Experienced audio freelancers are invited to submit a pitch to the program, which is also open to all CBC employees – staff, contract and temps.
The program pairs up documentary makers with experienced CBC producers who provide guidance and mentorship through the process of making a radio documentary. Mentors are happy to provide feedback on pitches before the formal application process, so applicants are advised to contact the mentor they wish to work with before they apply.
Not all of the usual mentors are able to participate this time around, but the program is accepting applications to The Doc Project, The Sunday Edition and Now Or Never as well as the Emerging Indigenous Doc Maker Program.
Production on all documentaries that are accepted to the program must be completed by March 31st, 2020.
If your pitch is accepted to the Doc Mentorship Program, you’re advised to make sure you negotiate a contract up front before they start working on their project. If you need help with this process, you can contact CMG Freelance president Don Genova.
“There are typically two types of contracts used when the CBC commissions a documentary,” says Genova. “A Freelance Contributor contract pays at least the minimum rate based on number of minutes in the doc based on rates in the CBC-Canadian Media Guild collective agreement. For example, a 20 to 30 minute doc pays a minimum of $2817.03. The freelancer retains copyright in the documentary.”
With the other contract, Freelance Specific Services, the pay rate is supposed to be based on the same amount an employee would make if they were doing similar work.
“That amount takes a bit more figuring out, and the contract also calls for the freelancer to give up their copyright and all other rights in the documentary,” says Genova.
For more information on rates and contracts, check out this page on the CMG Freelance website. If you have any questions you can also contact CMG Freelance Branch president Don Genova at freelance@cmg.ca.
You can find more details about the Doc Mentorship Program and how to apply, on the Doc Makers website. And if you have any questions about applying to the program, you can contact CBC producer Joan Melanson.
Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Dec 2-9
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From around the web:
- The 9 Subreddits Every Creative Freelancer Should Follow [Freelancers Union]
- The 2019 gift guide for writers [The Writer]
- These how-to podcast videos are designed to help beginners — and they come in six languages [Poynter]
- The benefits of calling sources [The Writer]
- 7 Ways Freelance Writers Can Use LinkedIn to Attract New Clients [The Write Life]
- 4 Side Hustles For Writers [Freelance Writing Jobs]
- 5 tactics to sidestep common storytelling pitfalls [PR Daily]
- The urgent need for worker-owned media [Current Affairs]
- Tip: How to (and how not to) report on Indigenous art [Journalism.co.uk]
- The freelancer’s holiday survival guide [Freelancers Union]
Recently on Story Board:
- CMG Freelance on the move: As of 2020, the independent membership portion of the Canadian Media Guild Freelance Branch will be moving to a new home at our parent organization, CWA-Canada. This move will give our group more autonomy to run our own affairs while at the same time preserving the benefits we currently enjoy from being part of a national media union…
- CMG election December 5 to 9: The vote will take place from Thursday, December 5 at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) to Monday December 9 at midnight (Eastern Time) using CMG’s online automated voting system run by an independent third-party…
- Submissions open for the 2020 National Magazine Awards: If you’re a writer, photographer or illustrator who does freelance work for magazines, it’s time to start thinking about making a submission to the National Magazine Awards…
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.
CMG Freelance On the Move
My fellow members, as of 2020, the independent membership portion of the Canadian Media Guild Freelance Branch will be moving to a new home at our parent organization, CWA-Canada.
This move will give our group more autonomy to run our own affairs while at the same time preserving the benefits we currently enjoy from being part of a national media union. CWA-Canada is the oldest and only all-media union in Canada, with about 6,000 members at 17 Locals across the country representing workers in the communications industry.
The really exciting part of this move is that it comes as our colleagues at PWAC, the Professional Writers Association of Canada, are preparing to vote on joining us at our new home.
With a positive outcome of the vote, this new organization, tentatively named the Canadian Freelance Guild, will swell to nearly 400 members and will become a force in advocating for better rights, contracts, and pay for freelance communications professionals across Canada.
For now, our website, cmgfreelance.ca, our Story Board blog, and our social media channels will all remain with the CMG Freelance brand while we make the transition. You can continue to renew your memberships, view webinars, ask me for advice, and take advantage of the other benefits you’ve been enjoying since you joined. In due time you will be sent new membership cards, and for those who have qualified, a new media card.
Unfortunately, this means leaving behind our freelance colleagues at CBC/Radio- Canada, which I regret deeply. I have represented them as individuals and at the bargaining table through a number of collective agreements for the past 20 years. I hope that our new organization can continue to work in some way with CBC freelancers as we all face similar challenges in pursuit of our careers.
From Thursday, December 5th until Monday, December 9th, our independent members have one more chance to vote in the CMG national elections. Contested positions include CMG President and Vice-President, as well as Director of Equity and Human Rights. You should have received an email on Thursday with your membership number and a passcode so you can vote electronically. Let me know if you don’t get that email or need to know more about the election.
There will be much more detail to follow in the coming weeks and months.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me with any questions that you have, at freelance@cmg.ca or 778-991-4439 (Pacific Time).
Regards,
Don Genova
CMG Freelance Branch President
CMG election December 5th to 9th
For the next five days, members of CMG Freelance can vote in the Canadian Media Guild’s national elections.
The vote will take place from Thursday, December 5 at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) to Monday December 9 at midnight (Eastern Time) using CMG’s online automated voting system run by an independent third-party.
Contested positions include CMG President and Vice-President, as well as Director of Equity and Human Rights.
If you’re a member, you should receive an email by Thursday night with your membership number and a passcode so you can vote electronically.
If you did not receive your membership number or have questions about how to vote in the election you can email CMG Freelance president Don Genova at freelance@cmg.ca or call him at 778-991-4439 (Pacific Time).
Submissions open for the 2020 National Magazine Awards
If you’re a writer, photographer or illustrator who does freelance work for magazines, it’s time to start thinking about making a submission to the National Magazine Awards.
The awards program has 18 writing and visual award categories, including feature writing, investigative reporting, fiction, photography and many more. The gold medal winner in each category receives a $1000 cash prize.
If your publisher isn’t planning to submit your work, you can submit it yourself. The awards foundation offers freelancers a discount on entry fees with the Freelancer Support Fund, which allows freelancers to submit two entries for the price of one.
The call for entries is open until January 22, 2020.
For more information about the categories, rules, and submissions process, check out the National Magazine Awards Foundation’s website.
Off the Wire: News for the Canadian media freelancer Nov 26-Dec 1
Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?
From around the web:
- Journalists-Turned-Entrepreneurs on How They Built Their Businesses [Nieman Lab]
- Canadian media needs to take further steps in recognizing diverse preferences in disability language [J-Source]
- Balancing privacy and transparency when reporting on minors [J-Source]
- Six tips to improve your radio and podcast interviews [Journalism.co.uk]
- 8 steps for building your writing process [Poynter]
- Four steps to getting published more [The Writer]
- VICE reporter takes press freedom award [CWA Canada]
- TWUC Short Prose Competition [TWUC]
- Nautilus, under new ownership, commits to paying back freelance contributors [CJR]
Recently on Story Board:
- Dalton Camp Award submissions open December 2: If you have thoughts about the link between democracy and the media in Canada, it’s time to start thinking about your entry for the 2020 Dalton Camp Award…
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.
