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: 

• Globe and Mail axes Tabatha Southey, Leah McLaren [Canadaland]
• Malahat Review Open Season Awards submissions now open [Malahat Review]
• Free speech groups speak out against assault of journalists in Quebec City [J-Source]

From The U.S. and beyond:

• Tip: Why hiring local freelancers can be beneficial to your news organisation [Journalism.co.uk]
• 8 tips for working with clients from long distances [Freelancers Union]
• Unmotivated? These 6 Tips Will Help You Jump Start Your Freelance Grind [Mediabistro]
• 4 Ways to Track Down Expert Sources for Your Next Article [The Write Life]
• Rethinking the dangers women journalists face [New York Times]
• Why is it so hard for foreign journalists to break into U.S. and European outlets? [Open Notebook]
• 6 tips for creating a social media presence that works [Freelancers Union]
• The Guardian launches a nonprofit to fund its journalism [Digiday]

Recently on Story Board:

• Journalism interns -- Share your experiences: Did you work as a journalism intern in Canada or the United States between 2013 and 2017? Researcher Errol Salamon would like to hear about your experiences for a textbook on labour issues facing media workers in North America...

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.