2015 Atlantic Journalism Awards Finalists
Attachments
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| Media outlet where first aired or published: | The Canadian Press - subsequently published on multiple media sites. |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: This comprehensive package of two stories and a digital interactive timeline and map was designed to mark the first anniversary of the shootings that killed three Mounties and injured two more in Moncton, N.B., in June 2014. Reporters Alison Auld and Michael Tutton combed through the audio of 911 calls from the day of the shootings and contacted the various callers for follow-up interviews one year later. Alison Auld also developed sources within the RCMP for a second story focused on the delays in providing carbine assault rifles - identified as a critical piece of weaponry - to RCMP officers, some of whom knew first-hand how the Moncton officers were hopelessly outgunned by Justin Bourque. Michael and Alison developed the personal stories into a moving retrospective piece that recounted the 911 callers' experiences as they came face to face with Bourque on his rampage through the neighbourhood, highlighting the terror and uncertainty that spread like wildfire throughout an otherwise quiet residential community. Alison's piece focused on the anger among Mounties who had been on the job that day and who believed bureaucracy was the reason their comrades had been gunned down by a citizen wielding superior firepower. Alison and Michael, along with a team of CP supervisors, reviewed the 911 calls and information to create a timeline that was overlaid on a digital map of the Moncton neighbourhood to provide a real-time recreation of Bourque's path, punctuated with dramatic audio from the actual calls made by shaken residents and police officers and clips of video interviews with some of those same residents one year later. This package not only captured the terror of the day itself but the ongoing efforts of Moncton, its people and its police, to recover and move forward. |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: Michael Tutton's travel and expenses were covered during a trip to Moncton to speak to residents. No special resources required otherwise. |
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