Local Journalism Initiative
PARTNER INVESTIGATIONS
After George Floyd
The killing of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis sparked a nationwide reckoning on racism in America — and renewed calls for change. FRONTLINE partners with award-winning Star Tribune reporters as they cover the aftermath of Floyd’s death, Chauvin’s trial and the impact on both the city’s police and communities of color.
COVID-19 in America
The latest from our local journalism partners on how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting communities across the U.S.
Dairyland in Distress
For years, Loyal, a city in the heart of Wisconsin's dairy country, has been struggling with an ailing farm economy. Then COVID-19 hit the state. A collaboration between Milwaukee PBS and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Fractured
The mental health care system in North Carolina has been failing for years. Perhaps nowhere is that more evident than those who get caught up in the criminal justice system, out of sight, therefore out of mind for the general public and policymakers. But their plight — and the brokenness of the mental health system…
Groundwater War
New Mexico PBS' investigation into PFAS contamination at military installations in the state and its impact on groundwater.
Poisoned
Hundreds of workers at a Tampa lead smelter have been exposed to dangerous levels of the neurotoxin. The Tampa Bay Times investigates the profound consequences. Part 1: The Factory | Part 2: The Failings | Part 3: The Fallout This investigation, carried out with support from FRONTLINE's Local Journalism Initiative, won a George Polk Award, a Pulitzer Prize…
Rural Health Care: The Other Texas Drought
Rural communities in the Texas Panhandle have struggled to keep up in the fight against the coronavirus. The Texas Newsroom examines the shortage of health care resources people living in those communities face.
Sugar Land
In 2018, a few months into building a new school in Sugar Land, Texas, construction crews uncovered 95 unmarked graves — evidence of a particularly dark period in our country’s history. The Texas Newsroom explores who these 95 people were and what happened to them in the podcast “Sugar Land.”
The Disconnect
In February 2021, days-long blackouts in Texas left millions shivering in the dark. Hundreds died. How has the Texas grid changed since then? And how has it changed how people think? KUT/KUTX Studios and The Texas Newsroom explore those questions in season two of “The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout.”
Uncovered
A first-of-its-kind effort to expose questionable government conduct and corruption throughout South Carolina. The Post and Courier has teamed with 17 community newspapers in this effort, which aims to strengthen accountability of taxpayer dollars and democracy in the Palmetto State.
Underage and Unprotected
A two-year investigation by The Public’s Radio reveals how some migrant teens end up working in risky jobs at seafood processing plants in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Underage and Unprotected examines the role of staffing agencies, which many teens said hired them and sent them to jobs at processors. The series also exposes weaknesses in the…
When Police Shoot
Police across Utah shot at 30 people two years ago. And then in 2020, the state tied that record. With no government entity collecting such data, The Salt Lake Tribune will expand its own data gathering on police shootings.
Youth Suicide in Colorado
Colorado has one of the country’s highest suicide rates, a crisis only deepened by the pandemic. Rocky Mountain PBS examines a statewide prevention effort and finds stories of healing and hope.
Our Partners
Latest Reporting from Our Partners
WATCH: COVID-19 In El Paso And The U.S.-Mexico Border
Although it’s in Texas, El Paso’s proximity to New Mexico and the border with Mexico makes it an important part of the pandemic equation.
New Mexico PBS
May 22, 2020
Denver Schools Screened Fewer Students For Suicide Risk In The Time Of COVID-19
Schools in the Denver, Colorado area have been screening a lot fewer students for suicide risk with school buildings closed due to COVID-19.
May 21, 2020
Child Abuse Reports Fall in Florida, Raising Concerns about At-Risk Kids
With schools still closed because of the coronavirus, the number of abuse reports across Florida in April plummeted to about 19,000, a 40 percent drop compared with the same month last year.
Tampa Bay Times
May 21, 2020
Why More Women Than Men Contract the Coronavirus in Oklahoma
Women account for about three-fourths of all COVID-19 infections among health-care workers and in nursing homes in Oklahoma, resulting in a higher proportion of women than men overall infected across the state.
Oklahoma Watch
May 20, 2020
Will A COVID-19 Vaccine Meet Resistance in Oklahoma?
When a coronavirus vaccine becomes available in the United States, the federal government and states will face a crucial choice: Should all or most residents be required to get the vaccine?
Oklahoma Watch
May 15, 2020
These Seniors Are At Risk For COVID-19. They Also Crew Sun City Center Ambulances.
With an average age of 72, Sun City Center Emergency Squad’s all volunteer 911 ambulance service is still on the road, even during a pandemic.
Tampa Bay Times
May 13, 2020
Florida Nursing Homes Unprepared for Emergencies Like the Coronavirus, Audit Finds
Florida wasn't the only state to fall short. Federal audits of nursing homes in New York, California, Texas and Missouri revealed a similar number of nursing home failures.
May 7, 2020
WATCH: Colorado Faith Leaders Reflect on Ministering to the Dying in a Pandemic
Four faith leaders shared their experiences ministering to the sick and the dying in the time of coronavirus. They described experiences that were painful but also strengthened their faith.
Rocky Mountain PBS
May 5, 2020
In Oklahoma, Shift to Distance Learning Highlights Stark Inequity in Students’ Internet Connection
Teachers have tried to reach students through phone calls, emails and letters. Despite the efforts, some students didn’t respond.
May 5, 2020
WATCH: Denver's Top Prosecutor Warns of Scams Circulating During COVID-19 Pandemic
Denver’s top prosecutor said her office is hearing complaints about fraudulent offers to help people get their federal economic impact checks faster.
Rocky Mountain PBS
April 28, 2020
Oklahoma Nursing Homes, Where COVID-19 Cases Abound, Struggle to Find Protective Equipment
Nearly a month after the state’s first nursing home residents died of COVID-19, many of Oklahoma’s long-term care facilities are struggling to find enough gowns and other protective equipment needed to prevent infections.
April 24, 2020
How the Coronavirus Pandemic Is Impacting Native American Communities
Today’s new episode of our “Covering Coronavirus” podcast takes you to New Mexico, into Native American communities, where the pandemic is taking a painful toll.
April 24, 2020
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.