2014 Atlantic Journalism Awards Finalists
Attachments
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| Date Aired or Published | November 11, 2014 |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: It was the fall of 2013 that our newsroom began discussing how to cover the centenary of the First World War. A call for support from newsroom staff was well received and a planning committee was formed. This was our raison d'etre: "The First World War, or the War to End All Wars, began in Europe after decades of simmering distrust, rising nationalism and an arms race. In June 1914, the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was assassinated in Sarajevo, which was the spark that led to hostilities. Within a month, on July 28, 1914, Europe was at war. Austria and Serbia fired the first volleys and complicated treaties led to mobilization of Europe's armies. On Aug. 4, when Germany, Austria's ally, sent its troops into Belgium, en route to what they thought would be a "quick" victory over France, Britain declared war. That declaration meant Canada was at war. Over four years, dozens of countries entered the war and the battlefield spread to the Middle East, the rest of Asia, and Africa. In Europe, there were fronts in the East and West, and the western front stretched 700 kilometres from the North Sea to Switzerland. This is where many Canadians and Nova Scotians fought what many call a war of attrition. Out of a population of about eight million, 620,000 Canadians served in uniform; 67,000 were killed in action and 173,000 were wounded. There were 30,000 Nova Scotians who served. Thousands were killed or injured. It is said Canada became a nation during the war. In April 1917, it was Canadian troops that captured Vimy Ridge, a feat that allied troops had failed in previous attempts. In particular, it was Nova Scotia's 85th Regiment that led the charge. The area of Vimy Ridge that the 85th captured is where the famed Vimy Memorial stands. This memorial is an iconic symbol of Canada's pride and nationhood. It is the stories of Nova Scotia's soldiers and regiments that we want to tell. There are no living veterans and their children are aging if not dead. So our stories will be told through letters, diaries and photos, and interviews with descendants." In our newspaper and on our website, we encouraged readers to contact us, to share their families' letters, diaries, photographs and other First World War memorabilia. We received many responses and were able to publish dozens in print and online. We scoured books for possible excerpts, visited the Nova Scotia archives to view diaries (notably that of premier Angus L. Macdonald) and photos, requested the use of photos from Library and Archives Canada, visited local army and navy museums, and scanned our own newspapers' archives for photos and story ideas. We also reprinted some wartime pages from The Halifax Herald of 100 years ago. By April 2014, we had a proposed content plan and with fingers crossed, we asked management for 17 weeks of coverage; every Saturday beginning Aug. 2 and ending on Nov. 11. Approval was granted. As planning progressed it was agreed to pre-launch on June 28, the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. This was a tremendous project for a newspaper our size to take on and it is one we are very proud of. The budget was modest; some overtime and freelance payments. The two entries are from the beginning and ending of the series, Aug. 2 and Nov. 11, 2014. |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: |
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