September 20, 2007: PWAC to hold web forum on libel

PWAC Libel Forum: Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th, September

Have any burning questions or curiosity about libel that you want to ask a lawyer about? If so, PWAC can help -- if you participate in next week's PWAC Libel Forum.

The two-day forum will include input from legal expert, Warren Sheffer, who will be available to answer questions about all things "libel" including:

- best practices
- professional liability
- intellectual property
- contracts

Warren Sheffer is engaged in a broad intellectual property and corporate/commercial law practice. In addition to his L.L.B, he holds a B.A in Economics, a M.A in History and Professional Specialization certificate in International Intellectual Property Law. Warren was formerly the legal counsel to Access Copyright (2004-2006) and is an Executive Member of the Entertainment, Media and Communications Section of the Ontario Bar Association. Warren is also a published author of articles on copyright, defamation, information technology, and aboriginal law.

For more information and to register for the forum, please contact National Office at info@pwac.ca.

NB: Only PWAC members in "good standing" will able to participate in the Forum. For information about joining PWAC, please go here:

Join PWAC

September 20, 2007: PWAC audio starts discussion

Yesterday, PWAC loaded to this website an audio file of Dr. Vincent Mosco's address to PWAC at this year's National Conference. The talk concerns freelance work and organized labour in North America.

Software professional and digital copyright theorist Russell McOrmond listened to the talk and then recorded his thoughts on the topic on his own blog. See the full response at the link below:

Digital Copyright Canada

And here is a brief sample:

While I agree that knowledge workers must make a decent wage, that in many cases will require abandoning some of the older business models which set up the very conditions that cause this risk.

September 19, 2007: Freelance Work and Organized Labour

At the 2007 National Conference &AGM in Vancouver, PWAC presented the esteemed Dr. Vincent Mosco, Canada Research Chair in Communications and Society as one of our luncheon speakers. Dr. Mosco spoke to the gathered writers about how freelance work and organized labour have begun to come together in North America.

Hear the entire talk online.

This file is public and free of charge. PWAC would like to thank the Canada Research Chairs program and Dr. Mosco for permission to use this recording.

September 18, 2007: Toronto Life Names New Editor

The St. Joseph press release:

Sarah Fulford Named Incoming Editor of Toronto Life - Succeeds John Macfarlane Who is Stepping Down

Sharon McAuley, Vice-President and Group Publisher of Toronto Life, today announced that John Macfarlane will be stepping down as Editor at the end of 2007. She named Senior Editor Sarah Fulford as his successor.

An eight-year veteran of the magazine, Fulford is a recognized talent, having won gold and silver National Magazine Awards for her writing as well as editing more than a dozen award-winning features and columns for Toronto Life. Promoted to Senior Editor in 2003, Fulford was responsible for scouting exciting new writing talent and developing a number of successful special editorial projects. At the same time, she established herself as a freelance writer for newspapers and magazines. Prior to joining Toronto Life in 1999 as associate editor, she was an assistant editor at Elm Street. The 33-year-old is married to novelist Stephen Marche and has a 19-month-old son.

"I'm thrilled to be taking on this new challenge," said Fulford. "Toronto Life has a tradition of featuring great writing and superb photography. I hope to build on that tradition by encouraging the growth of new talent and broadening the magazine's readership."

Macfarlane, 65, is considered the dean of Canadian magazine editors, and has held the Editor's position since 1992. (This actually represents his second stint in the Editor's chair; he also edited the magazine in 1972-73.) Known in the industry for nurturing writing talent and mentoring the next generation of editors, he played a key role in the search for his successor.

"I recognized an editor-in-chief in Sarah a long time ago. And I am completely confident that she and the team she inherits will take Toronto Life to new highs. I look forward to seeing that happen, knowing that I played a part in making it possible," said Macfarlane.

During Macfarlane's 15-year tenure with Toronto Life, the magazine won an unprecedented 53 gold and 58 silver National Magazine Awards. Last year, the National Magazine Awards Foundation honoured him with the Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Macfarlane, who also serves as Vice-President for Strategic Development at St. Joseph Media (Toronto Life's parent company), said he will have an on-going relationship with the company. "But I'm ready for a change. I've been an editor for 40 years. I'm looking forward to contributing what I've learned as a journalist and on volunteer boards to other organizations in the private and public sectors."

"John is leaving Toronto Life at the top of his game, and the magazine has never been stronger," said McAuley. "Our readers will love what Sarah brings to the magazine - she's extraordinarily talented, smart, curious, and has a great instinct for the big, juicy story. Under her leadership, Toronto Life will continue to do what we do best - entertain and engage our readers and help them to get the most out of living in this city."

About Toronto Life:

Since 1966, Toronto Life has helped Torontonians understand and enjoy life in Toronto. Our award-winning journalism focuses on the issues and trends, people and institutions that define the city. Authoritative reviews offer recommendations for the best in food and wine, shopping, and arts and entertainment. Toronto Life and torontolife.com enjoy an exclusive, loyal audience of 765,000 readers and 220,000 unique visitors each month.

About St. Joseph Media:

St. Joseph Media publishes Toronto Life, FASHION Magazine, Wish, Gardening Life, Canadian Family, Weddingbells, Mariage Quebec, WHERE Canada magazines, Quill & Quire, Ottawa Magazine and a variety of custom publications. Properties go beyond print to include web sites and television. St. Joseph Media is a division of St. Joseph Communications, Canada's largest privately owned communications company, with four business platforms in content, print, documents and media.

September 17, 2007: Dave Greber Freelance Writers Award goes to Vancouver writer

John Vigna, a Vancouver freelance writer is the 2007 winner of the Dave Greber Freelance Writers Award. Mr. Vigna's successful submission, The Ballad of Big and Small, is a magazine article to be published in the fall of 2007 by Grain Magazine.

Shirley Dunn, founder and fund developer for the Dave Greber Freelance Writers Award will award the $2000 prize to Mr. Vigna on September 30, 2007 at The Word on The Street, Book and Magazine Fair in Calgary.

Dave Greber, a much published, respected freelance writer, storyteller, and musician died unexpectedly in 2000 at the age of 50. To honor Dave's memory and perpetuate his professional values, his life partner, Shirley Dunn, has established an annual award to give public recognition to the skills necessary to craft a story based on excellence of writing and research. The award will help support a freelance non-fiction writer, prior to publication in order to meet expenses related to living, writing and research.

John Vigna has been a self-employed writer since 1989 and has devoted himself full time as a freelance professional writer since 1999. His writing has been featured in many magazines and newspapers, including The Georgia Strait, The Vancouver Sun and The Vancouver Province

September 17, 2007: Learn How to Write the Perfect Media Release

The Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) is delighted to offer a half-day seminar on media release writing to promote your business, organization or event, presented by freelance writer and PWAC member Paul Lima.

Writing Media Releases is more a craft than a science. However, when it comes to generating publicity you increase your chances of a "hit" if you follow the fundamental Media Release writing, issuing and follow-up do's and don'ts presented in this seminar.

Date: Tuesday, 9th October 2007
Time: 9:30am - 12:30pm
Venue: Centre for Social Innovation, 215 Spadina Avenue, Toronto
Cost: $40* = PWAC members,
$50* = Public,
$75* = Show on the Day * + GST

For more information:

Go Here

To register:

Go Here

September 13, 2007: Black trial coverage under examination

While you're looking at the Literary Review of Canada's website (see posting below re: Robertson decision essay), don't miss Suanne Kelman's examination of the media coverage for the recent Conrad Black trial in Chicago.

Both Black's journalistic defenders and attackers come in for heavy criticism. Here's a highlight:

I don't want to romanticize the past excessively, but the many brazen improprieties in the coverage of this trial strike me as a new development. In the old days, I can't see a broadsheet assigning the ex-husband of a defendant's wife to cover the trial. Yet the National Post did exactly that with George Jonas, the second husband of Barbara Amiel, a.k.a. Lady Black. (Jonas has remained close to Amiel through her subsequent marriages; his coverage was consistently pro-Black.)

Ken Whyte, the editor of Maclean's, would have felt compelled to spend more space addressing the issue of his past employment by Black at the National Post. He might even have disclosed the $100,000 bonus that Conrad Black paid him well after their business relationship had ended -- before that information showed up in Whyte's testimony for Black's defence at the trial. Maclean's not only covered the trial in excruciating detail both in the magazine and on Mark Steyn's fiercely partisan blog, but also gave Lord Black two pages as the trial started to present his own case, and allowed Lady Black to continue writing her usual column.

To be fair, Lady Black has never actually addressed the issue of her husband's guilt or innocence head-on in the column, although she has come dangerously close. On January 1, 2007, the column denounced snitches. It did not mention David Radler, Black's former partner and current nemesis, but I think a reader might draw an inference or two from her attacks on the sanctification of whistle blowers. Other columns have dealt with her own suffering during the trial, an ordeal that has reduced her to compulsively watching the hotel's video on fire safety and washing her own underwear.

September 13, 2007: Robertson explained

Longtime PWACer and former Access Copyright board member Chris Moore has written a very entertaining and informative essay on last October's Supreme Court decision in the Heather Robertson class action against Thomson Corp.

Heather Robertson, also a longtime PWAC member, spoke at last May's PWAC Conference in Vancouver, updating members on the action's return to trial and the implications of the Supreme decision.

Chris Moore's essay appears in the summer issue of the Literary Review of Canada, and can be read online in its entirety. One assumes Mr. Moore was compensated for that digital use.