CMG resolves complaint, gets freelancer paid
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The Canadian Media Guild helped get a CBC freelancer paid this week. The freelancer had not been paid the appropriate rate for several years and had never been asked to…
Taking the “free” out of freelancing
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by Suzanne Bowness How many people here are thinking about going the freelance route at some point in your writing careers? My first question is met with a few raised…
OpenFile freelancers post open letter to Wilf Dinnick
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Some of OpenFile’s freelancers started a tumblr yesterday to try to get straight answers from the news organization’s CEO, Wilf Dinnick. OpenFile suspended publication in late September, promising to return…
Straight talk about unpaid internships
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Last month’s Will Work For Exposure conference at Ryerson University may have been the first time a public conversation was held in Canada about unpaid internships. The panel on internships…
Experience or exploitation? Conference ramps up debate on unpaid internships
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By Anqi Shen The culture sector, long known for its precarious working conditions, is shaping up to be more arduous for its workers. On October 19, a mix of students, professionals,…
The good, the bad and the ugly of freelance work
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Headline from today’s precarious work conference at Ryerson: freelancing for multiple clients can feel more secure than working for a single employer. That was a bright note for freelancing in…
Freelancer or employee? Which are you?
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The BBC has been under fire this month for its practice of paying presenters and other contributors as freelancers. The Guardian reported yesterday that staff contracts will be offered to many…
Content farm writing rates hit a new low
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We all know how bad the downward pressure on freelance writing rates is these days. And with the proliferation of online “content farms” things seem to be getting worse. Over the…
What was in reporters’ pockets in 1920, according to Ernest Hemingway
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This week the Toronto Star launched a micro-site dedicated to a reporter who wrote for them nearly a century ago. His name was Ernest Hemingway. Maybe you’ve heard of him?…
Smart on the page, smart on the screen—smart for the writers?
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According to this recent Postmedia News article, it’s getting harder to fund documentaries in Canada. So the kind of partnership The Walrus and High Fidelity HDTV have announced—making documentaries “inspired”…