2013 Atlantic Journalism Awards Finalists
Attachments
| Slug/Label | Miss Ally |
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| Date Aired or Published | 10/19/2013 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | Global Halifax |
| Name of Program: | Evening News |
| If co-produced, list partner: | Cory McGraw |
| Location: | Woods Harbour |
| List awards, grants: | |
| Running time (TV/Radio): | multiple reports |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: When the Miss Ally fishing vessel went missing, and a close knit town waited to find out the results of the search party for the ship’s crewmembers, Global was there to report on whether these five young men would be brought home. The Miss Ally overturned in the early morning hours of February 18. While search and rescue crews scoured the waters off Nova Scotia’s coast for any sign of the fishing boat and her crew, Cory McGraw and Natasha Pace headed to the home port of the Miss Ally in Woods Harbour, Nova Scotia. They left for Woods Harbour thinking they would only stay for a few hours and ended up staying a week through the search and ultimately, the recovery efforts. Global’s follow up coverage was thorough and fluid, and kept up with a constantly changing story. We asked why the search efforts had been called off prematurely by the RCMP, and followed a team of local divers as they took matters into their own hands. Pace gained the trust and respect of the community early on, getting exclusive interviews with the divers and establishing trust from friends and family who were upset, distraught and emotional. Her exhaustive efforts to continuously provide live updates and social media reports were answered with great appreciation from the community. Global even followed the story months later when the four divers who attempted to recover the lost bodies of the fishermen, who were hailed as heroes in their hometown, were recognized with a Medal of Bravery by the province of Nova Scotia. |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: Pace and McGraw faced a number of logistical challenges to follow this constantly changing story. Since Woods Harbour is a very rural area of Nova Scotia, the signal for the satellite truck was difficult to predict. Pace and McGraw had to be outdoors in frigid temperatures delivering live hits constantly throughout the day. At the height of the tragedy, Global had four people staying in Woods Harbour. It was a significant financial commitment from Global News to keep reporting teams there for a week, and cover lodging, food and overtime. Having four people working one story also put additional pressure on our studio in Halifax, and the reporting staff remaining in the city, to cover the rest of the province. It was an opportunity that was fully answered by a dynamic team effort. |
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