AJAs 2024 Finalists
A Darkness on the Edge of Town
| Slug/Label | A Darkness on the Edge of Town |
|---|---|
| Date Aired or Published | Sept. 24, Oct. 1, Dec. 11 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | CBC Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Name of Program: | cbc.ca/nl |
| If co-produced, list partner: | |
| Location: | Newfoundland and Labrador |
| List awards, grants: | |
| Running time (TV/Radio): | |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: In 2023, after police charged two neighbours with sexual violence against youth, sources said there was much more to the case. So CBC launched a successful court battle to get search warrants unsealed. Those documents gave an account of what police and child protection officials did — and didn’t do — over the years, as allegations mounted about vulnerable kids being abused. Hours after publication, police announced dozens of new charges in the case. Two days later, Premier Andrew Furey directed the province’s child and youth advocate to launch an investigation, calling the revelations in CBC’s reporting “deeply concerning.” |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: CBC News launched a seven-month legal challenge to get search warrants unsealed, a process that involved internal lawyers and hiring external counsel. Journalists Ryan Cooke and Rob Antle spent months on this story, much of that time exclusively focused on it. |
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