reporter from ontario looking for stories

[pamela steel]

Hi all

We're looking for your stories. If you're from Ontario and have come home from service, I would love to talk with you about your experience. The good and the bad.

Please give me a heads up if you want to chat.

thanks
pamela

 

[The Bread Guy]

Hi - welcome to Army.ca

Some friendly advice - plastering multiple posts across different threads isn't necessarily going to draw more attention from potential interviewees.  It could be considered spamming under the Army.ca Content Guidelines.

That said, keep reading and exploring - there's a lot of good material from people who've been there, done that.  It helps establish your bona fides having done that homework.

Good luck with the hunt!

 

[PuckChaser]

You also might want to put what media outlet you're working for, and what direction you're looking to take the story. Soldiers will be more receptive if you're up front, we don't like our words twisted to fit into stories.

 

[pamela steel]

HI

thanks for the responses. So people will see it if I just post it once - excellent.

I am with metrolandmedia - the piece will run in early november in publications across Ontario - many, many local papers. I'm in the Muskoka area but am writing this for the whole region. Would love to hear from people from my neck of the woods tho!

We really don't plan to twist anyone's words. We want you to be able to guide the story. Is the transition from CF to home easy? hard? are you treated fairly?

I've talked with Pat Stogran - who obviously doesn't think you are being treated fairly. Today, my colleague is talking with the minister of veterans affairs - I'm not sure what he'll have to say.

As I read the related posts, it looks like vets are coming up against some pretty frustrating red tape but we will present the facts as they are presented to us - hopefully by you.

Part of the piece will be honouring the traditional vets from WWII and Korea and looking at how the experience may have changed over the generations.

Hope to hear from some people. Because we're local, I need to hear from personnel from Ontario.

Thanks to everyone though, for all you do!

pamela

 

[Jarnhamar]

We really don't plan to twist anyone's words.

Don't plan to but it might happen? 

What did Pat think of your running these stories?

What kind of fact checking do you plan to do? Or are you going to just take a soldier's (or person from the internet claiming to be a soldier's) complaints and arguments as is.
What are you going to do to prevent yourself from becoming a sounding board for disgruntled soldiers?

 

[pamela steel]

Pat was thrilled to hear from us. He seems very passionate in his work and for the little time he has left in his post, he really wants to get his message out.

We will do our utmost to check all our facts. The only way we can avoid becoming a soundboard for disgruntled soldiers is to hear from those that are happy.

For someone with no military connections - I was interested to discover that one of the big changes since WWII is that the CF are a life long career for so many. I imagine if people are staying in for life, there must be some real positives.