AJAs 2024 Finalists
Who's at your door?
| Slug/Label | Who's at your door? |
|---|---|
| Date Aired or Published | May 9, 2024 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | CBC News |
| Name of Program: | CBC.ca/ns |
| If co-produced, list partner: | Angela Gilbert |
| Location: | Halifax |
| List awards, grants: | N/A |
| Running time (TV/Radio): | 8:40 (audio) + 8:03 (video) |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: Reporter Angela MacIvor started digging into Atlantic Environmental Systems, a water treatment company based in Dartmouth, N.S. following a series of stories covered by CBC P.E.I. At that point, the door-to-door company had been shut down in P.E.I. for aggressive behaviour targeting seniors. We received a tip from a distraught customer who alleged the company was operating in a similar manner in Nova Scotia. Angela took the audience on a journey as she investigated the company’s practices over five months, interviewing former employees and customers, to fully understand how the company manipulates people into buying products they do not need. Two months after the story aired, Atlantic Environmental Systems had its direct sellers’ permit revoked by the province. |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: This investigation took five months, off and on, while also working on other projects. For the video treatment in particular, our visual producer went above and beyond to create dynamic graphics and re-enact a sales presentation. We researched the proper supplies and bought them online for about $100. Various videographers went with Angela MacIvor all over the province to interview concerned consumers and their loved ones. We also had multiple editorial and legal discussions about calling the company in a clandestine manner to ask about a Bingo scratch ticket, using background sources who signed NDAs and using re-enactment video. Angela spent weeks going back and forth with the company in an effort to give them an opportunity for an on-camera interview, which the owner eventually backed out of doing. |
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