AJAs 2024 Finalists
Palestinian sisters in St. John’s say brothers’ safe passage to Newfoundland in limbo
| Slug/Label | palestinian-sisters |
|---|---|
| Date Aired or Published | July 27, 2024 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | The Independent |
| Name of Program: | NA |
| If co-produced, list partner: | NA |
| Location: | St. John's |
| List awards, grants: | NA |
| Running time (TV/Radio): | NA |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: In 2022, Newfoundland and Labrador alone welcomed thousands of Ukrainians fleeing Russia's war on Ukraine. But when the war in Gaza started, many pointed out Canada's effort to help Palestinians was lacking. St. John’s is a community-driven city whose residents come together to support each other in difficult times. I wanted to know whether Palestinians in St. John’s had experienced that community support and how they felt about the difficulties Palestinian Canadians experienced trying to get family members to Canada. I contacted Palestinian groups before being introduced to Marilyn and Miran Kasken. I built a connection with the sisters and ensured they trusted me with their experiences, given their vulnerabilities and those of their family members still in Gaza. I had to clarify immigration law information multiple times with sources, experts, and government officials and distill that information for readers. The resulting article showcased the Kasken sisters’ fear of losing their brothers and the stark contrast in how our federal and provincial governments support victims of war based on their nationality or ethnicity. In the end, the sentence that became central to my article was, ‘Immigration lawyers are cancelling an unprecedented number of visa applications because the applicants in Palestine are dying before their process can be completed.’ |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: By the time the story was published, I had spent about a full week or week and a half researching, building relationships, interviewing and writing. I am a Canada Race Relations Foundation Fellow on a full-time contract with The Independent. |
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