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:

• Writers in Canada make less than in 1998 [Toronto Star]
• Canadian writers working harder while earning less [TWUC]
• 5 journalists debunk myths about data reporting [J-Source]
• Quebec media star suspended after investigation says his foreign exploits were invented [Canada.com]
• The CUP crisis, one year later [J-Source]

From The U.S. and beyond:

• A Long, Strange Week in the Life of a Freelance Writer [The Freelancer]
• How to embrace the F-word (Failure) [Freelancers Union]
• 20 tools and resources every journalist should experiment with [Journalism.co.uk]
• Union vote is divisive issue for Gawker Media [Poynter]
• Gawker writers plan to vote on unionizing next week [Capital New York]
• Ask A Freelancer: How Can I Switch Specialties in the Middle of My Career? [The Freelancer]
• Tracey Spicer claims The Guardian is exploiting freelance writers to produce branded content [Mumbrella]

 

Last week on Story Board:

• Expertise Finder: Quick source search for journalists: Next time you need to find that perfect “expert source” for a story you’re working on, forget Google and head straight for Expertise Finder instead...
• In a freelance slump? Here's how to dig out: The independent life has its ups and downs, but in 24 years, I have never hit a slump like the one I’m in now. It’s quiet. TOO quiet. Knowing that this, too, shall pass, as it always does, I’ve been doing all the right things...

 

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.