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| 1 - Whistler (BC) Question, David Burke, Nicole Fitzgerald, Kim Thompson |
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| 2 - Whitehorse/Yukon Territory (YT) Yukon News, Richard Mostyn |
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| 3 - St. Stephen (NB) Saint Croix Courier, Kathy Bockus |
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Judge's Comments
First Place - Whistler Question
The Whistler Question covers all the bases with its issue on the flood of October, 2003. The paper provided news readers could use, from the latest on highway closures and food supplies, to public meetings and fundraisers.
An informative package that is well-written and chock full of comments from the folks closest to the disaster.
A compelling and complete read. Well done.
Second Place - Yukon News
So the premier sold heroin.
Many reporters would have given up at the "files are sealed" stage, but Richard Mostyn persevered.
Working his sources and pouring through back issues of newspapers in another provice are labour-intensive techniques too often ignored by today's sound-bite journalists. And fighting for the public's right to know - at the expense of advertising dollars - takes courage.
This is investigative reporting at its best
Third Place - The Saint Croix Courier
Kathy Bockus's narrative is what sets this story apart from other fire reports.
Seamlessly written with plenty of colour, her account places her readers in the midst of the action. Bockus went the extra mile, refusing to rely on a phone call to the fire chief. Instead, she tracked down the victims and the heroes and skillfully chose just the right quotes to add even more depth and colour. It wasn't just "he said, she said." You could smell the smoke.
One minor criticism: Not crazy about a photo of the reporter in the paper.
Comment for future entrants: There were quite a few submissions that confused story "follows" with stories that are "related" to the main news piece. Sending in months' worth of follow-up stories on issue does not constitute a "best news story" (emphasis on sigular). Note that two of the three winners this year were chosen on the strength of one item. Bigger is not necessarily better.
Also, editorials and letters-to-the-editor do not bolster the chances of a news story being "best." Save those for another category.
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