Our best journalism of 2024: Daycare inclusion, breast-cancer screening

I’ve written hundreds — if not thousands — of stories over my career, but the child-care series produced alongside my colleague Katrina Clarke in June, left an indelible mark on me like few others have.

Specifically, the fourth story in the six-part series, headlined “A desperate fight to be included,” really made an impression.

The piece dives into Manitoba’s Inclusion Support Program, which is a fully government-funded program designed to provide high-quality and accessible care for children with special needs.

What I discovered is that while the ISP aims to support our most vulnerable children, in reality, it’s a bureaucratic nightmare that creates more problems than solutions. It leaves families feeling abandoned and child-care centres pleading for answers.

All six stories in our Building Blocks, Crumbling Foundations series involved months of investigation by the Free Press. I hope you enjoy it.

—Jeff Hamilton

Late last year, the Free Press launched the series Silenced Symptoms, in which we explore underdiagnosed, underrecognized and undertreated health issues affecting the lives of women, nonbinary and trans people.

One story in particular struck a chord — not only for myself as a woman in her 40s, but also with our readers: a September story that examined the issues surrounding cancer screening and dense breast tissue.

I received emails from several women who shared their personal stories of frustration and disappointment due to Manitoba’s current breast screening criteria.

I was able to put their concerns — and those of my initial interviewees, Heather Brister and Jennifer Borgfjord — to Manitoba’s health minister for a follow-up story.

Working on topics that fall under the Silent Symptoms banner can be challenging; complex health issues have to be written with care and nuance to ensure that lived experiences are not ignored.

But it is also what makes journalism so rewarding: I get the chance to tell your stories. It’s not something I take lightly and it’s why I love doing this job.

—AV Kitching