The Problem of Press Trips
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by Keph Senett Freelance writers are masters of ingenuity. We have to be. Decreasing wages and increasing demands have made full-time freelance writing a losing proposition. Those of us who…
Expertise Finder: Quick source search for journalists
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by Rachel Sanders 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. Type in the subject you’re…
CWA Canada releases project on media worker rights and labour reporting
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by Emily Katz Labour stories are getting lost. At least, that’s what research for the recently launched Media Works: A Labour Rights and Reporting Project has discovered. At a time…
Canadian journalism schools and the internship issue… Work for pay or pay to work?
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by Sara Tatelman “Volunteer to do something which is at least somewhat related to your expertise,” Stephen Poloz, governor of the Bank of Canada, urged unemployed youth in a…
Connect the Docs offers unique online tools for documentary filmmakers
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by Luigi Benetton The Victoria documentary film community gathered on Wednesday, January 28 to discuss and watch clips from the upcoming doc Election Day in Canada. The screening happened in…
Peter Smoczynski on independent filmmaking, risk, and the value of a freelancers’ union
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by Rachel Sanders Peter Smoczynski says that joining the Canadian Media Guild’s freelance branch was a turning point in the production of his latest film. “I didn’t feel I…
Desmond Cole on crowdfunding to get to Ferguson
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by Rachel Sanders Desmond Cole is a Toronto freelancer and political commentator who writes about policing, race and social justice for a variety of media outlets. When the grand jury decision came down in Ferguson,…
Alternative Funding Models for Independent Media
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by Christian Deo Canadian independent media organizations face a critical question in light of the economic difficulties currently confronting all forms of media: ‘is independent media financially viable and…
Freelancer Stephen Leahy on crowdfunding his environmental journalism
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by Rachel Sanders Stephen Leahy was at a conservation conference in Mexico five years ago when the dire state of freelance journalism became clear to him. After the event, he spoke with…
Observations of a freelance writer/broadcaster at the NPAC Photojournalism Conference
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by Rebecca Hass While my friends and colleagues in the writing and broadcasting world were at the Toronto Canadian Media Guild conference this past May, I was in Vancouver manning…