AJAs 2024 Finalists
Rural reality
| Slug/Label | Rural reality |
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| Date Aired or Published | July 17, 2024 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | The Telegram |
| Name of Program: | N/A |
| If co-produced, list partner: | N/A |
| Location: | St. Jones Within, NL |
| List awards, grants: | N/A |
| Running time (TV/Radio): | N/A |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: I was driving to visit my parents, who still live in my hometown, when the idea for this series came to me. I was thinking about everything that makes St. Jones Within special, but also about how many of its challenges are the same ones facing many other rural communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. I thought I could write about my hometown as a microcosm for rural Newfoundland and Labrador more broadly. The resources used were just my time, and I was reimbursed for my mileage to drive my vehicle the two hours each way. I did face some technical challenges while writing the story, as the internet at my parents’ place is extremely slow and unreliable, and some days I spent far too much time simply trying to upload a photo — another ‘rural reality,’ at least for some. I spent five days there last summer, and wrote one story per day, for a total of five in the series. I am submitting three of them (but if you’re interested, the other two can be viewed here: https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/rural-reality-life-in-small-town-newfoundland-and-labrador-100981642 - note that only a portion of each story in the series displays on this landing page, you need to click each story to view them in full). |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: I spent five days in St. Jones Within writing five stories (I filed one story per day at the end of each day, though I think the stories actually ran over the course of eight days due to factors such as space constraints, breaking news etc). I was reimbursed for my mileage to drive two hours each way (four hours total). The company did not have to pay for anything else because I stayed with my parents. I took my own photos (and used some submitted photos where necessary, ie- to illustrate past events, etc.) |
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