AJAs 2017 Finalists
Attachments
| Slug/Label | |
|---|---|
| Date Aired or Published | April to November 2024 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | Saltscapes |
| Name of Program: | |
| If co-produced, list partner: | |
| Location: | |
| List awards, grants: | |
| Running time (TV/Radio): | |
|
Short explanation of the story and how it developed: To honor the four winners of the Diversity Atlantic Awards, Saltscapes set out to share their inspiring stories—stories of entrepreneurs who have profoundly transformed their workplaces and communities. Through creative reporting and insightful interviews, this series evolved into uplifting narratives highlighting these trailblazers' passion and commitment to championing equity, diversity, and inclusion through their businesses. These success stories go beyond showcasing the innovative businesses they created; they delve into the meaningful impact these ventures have had on their communities and the difference-makers behind them. These stories highlight the fight for change through these four entrepreneurs’ leadership, strength, and resilience. “When I began this project, my initial focus was to explore how the businesses came to fruition, why their entrepreneurs chose this path, and what winning the Diversity Atlantic Award meant to them. A more profound story emerged as I spoke with Stacey Hoffe, Tia Upshaw, Cedric Toullec, and Suen Richards. These four businesses have flourished but have become catalysts for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion—within their entrepreneurial endeavours and throughout the communities and regions where they live and work daily. All four leaders have experienced challenges throughout their lives. They have used their negative experiences to channel positive ones. This series ultimately celebrated their efforts to inspire and motivate others, with a vision focused on a brighter and more equitable future.” |
|
|
Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: Like most small regional publications, Saltscapes relies on freelance journalists like myself and has an extremely tight budget for stories and photography ($2500 per issue). Editorial space is also very limited. The editorial team, led by Trevor Adams, trusted my abilities; therefore, these stories were assigned longer-than-usual lengths. They successfully gambled much of their budget and space on the gamble that it would engage readers. Another challenge was coordinating interviews and photography for the sources in three provinces. The challenge for in-house and sourced photographers was to create compelling shots that reflected the positive and uplifting tone of the story. Creative Director Shawn Dalton and designer Roxana Boers’ ability to capture the perfect layout from many different options helped to tell the story. |
|