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:

• Why aren’t journalism students interested in journalism? [Fagstein] (via @wolfewylie)
• Chris Selley on the Toronto Star vs. Rob Ford: Huzzah for ruthless reporters [National Post]
• Nanaimo Daily News apologizes for running ‘racist’ letter to the editor [J-Source]
• U.S. blogger Allyson Bird quit journalism because she was tired & underpaid: Mallick [Toronto Star]

 

From the U.S. and beyond:

• Generation Mooch? Why 20-somethings have trouble paying for content [PaidContent]
• Why it’s still a good time to be a young journalist [Poynter]
• Columbia J-School professor wants to crowdsource longform journalism publishing [Poynter]
• Why we should stop criminalizing practices that are confused with plagiarism [Poynter]
• 'SF Chronicle' Journos Take Protest To Social Media [MediaDailyNews) (via @Canadianmags)
• Unpaid Newspaper Blogger Says 'Enough' [Nate Thayer] (via @karenatcmg)
• Author writes on author rights (via @mathewi)
• Alt-Weeklies Are Dead; Long Live Alt-Weeklies [AltWeeklies.com] (via @mediagazer)
• 5 Industry Trends Requiring Every Writer’s Attention [Writer Unboxed]
• Can Unions Save the Creative Class? [Salon]
• If You Love Writing Should You Still Get Paid For It? [The Renegade Writer]
• Fellowship for Women Journalists Open (Worldwide) [IJL] (via @journochat)
• Meredith, the Publishing Company That Beat the Internet [Bloomberg Businessweek] (via @LuigiBenetton)

 

From Story Board last week:

• Q and A on the TC Media freelance contract: (By André Dumont, former AJIQ vice-president) AJIQ (The Quebec Association of Independent Journalists) has gotten a lot of questions about the new TC Media contract. Here are a few of them, along with our answers...
• This ain't your parents' advertorial: So Global TV is now airing “news” reports sponsored by advertisers. The piece about what a pain it is to do your taxes might be brought to you by Q&Z Tax services. The one about all the crime in the east end could be courtesy of the local police association. Advertisers are torqueing the concept of advertorial into all sorts of creepy concepts with almost unintelligible definitions...

 

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.