Premier Awards - Outstanding Reporter Initiative ( Circulation up to 1499,Circulation 1500 to 3999,Circulation 4000 to 6499,Circulation 6500 to 9999,Circulation 10000 to 12499,Circulation 12500 to 17499,Circulation 17500 and over,Digital - Population under 10K,Digital - Population 10-99K,Digital - Population 100K plus)
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Place Name:
First Place
Contestant Name:
St. Albert Gazette (St. Albert, AB)
Entry Title:
Conspiracists and democratic deficits collide in Alberta municipal governments
Entry Credit:
Brett McKay
Judge Comment:
Brett McKay’s series on the impact of conspiracy theorists on local government, civil society and democracy was fascinating and well done not only in terms of the research and sources used but in the measured tone he took. It took courage to hold up a mirror to some individuals and to invite the community to gaze into it as well.
Place Name:
Second Place
Contestant Name:
The Lake Report (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON)
Entry Title:
Summer of the Flood (Richard Wright)
Entry Credit:
Richard Wright
Judge Comment:
Richard Wright’s Summer of the Flood series gave readers real insight into what it’s like to be the victim of a flash flood, with testimonies from several people affected. But it also goes further to talk about causes in the most impacted area and possible ways to avoid the same thing happening in the future. The time and care put into the series was well worth the effort.
Place Name:
Third Place
Contestant Name:
Rocky Mountain Outlook (Canmore/Kananaskis/Banff)
Entry Title:
Grizzly bears back in crosshairs as Alberta lifts hunting ban in select cases
Entry Credit:
Jessica Lee
Judge Comment:
The writer discovered that the Alberta government had in effect re-opened a long-banned grizzly bear hunt through a legislative change made without any public notification. Using data and sources questioning the rationale for the decision, the resulting stories are the kind of work this award was made for. The reporter also gave ample space for the government to state its position.
Competition Comment:
This category was extremely difficult to judge. All of the entries could be considered quality work about important subjects.
While any of the stories could be feature/news story or series award winners, the Outstanding Reporter Initiative category is meant for occasions when a reporter does more than do their job well. Rather than responding to an obvious story opportunity or following a continuing one, the award recognizes when a reporter has a particular curiosity about a subject and dives into it from several angles.
Entries that included explanatory letters from editors and publishers made all the difference in understanding what was required for reporters to get what they needed to write their pieces.
It was a pleasure to read and consider all of the entries.
