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.
Breakdown: Investigating Maine's deadliest shooting
In October 2023, a local Army Reservist opened fire inside two family businesses in Lewiston, a small city north of Portland. Within minutes, 18 were killed and 13 wounded – and the largely pro-gun state was left reeling. The Portland Press Herald and Maine Public examine the failures and aftermath in collaboration with FRONTLINE, including…
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.
South Carolina’s Rural Voters
What matters most to rural voters in South Carolina this election year? The Post and Courier, in collaboration with Report for America, examines the issues that are top of mind for small town voters.
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.”
Texas Border Crackdown
Immigration is one of the country’s most divisive political issues. The Texas Tribune investigates Texas' unprecedented militarization of the 1254-mile Texas-Mexico border, separating reality from political rhetoric.
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
Experts: Oklahoma, Among the Unhealthiest States, Faces Heightened Risks for COVID-19
Health experts caution that COVID-19’s impact on Oklahoma could be especially severe because of its well-documented and notorious status as one of the unhealthiest states in the country.
Oklahoma Watch
April 16, 2020
In Oklahoma, Signs Emerge of Growing Family Violence at Home
Family violence is escalating in parts of Oklahoma as the stress of the pandemic mounts. Weeks of isolation, financial strain and fear are heightening tensions, and some agencies say they have seen the effects.
Oklahoma Watch
April 13, 2020
'Voter Suppression At Its Finest': Wisconsin Citizens Say Missing Ballots, Lines and Coronavirus Kept Them from Being Counted in Election
A picture emerged of voters disappointed, angry and confused about how the election played out in a state that has long prided itself on taking voting seriously.
April 13, 2020
A Florida Woman Died from the Coronavirus. Then Paramedics Found Her Neighbor.
Even before Sheila Remley succumbed to COVID-19, word of her infection spread quickly around her 55-plus community in Largo.
Tampa Bay Times
April 11, 2020
WATCH: Practicing Faith During a Pandemic
On this episode, New Mexico In Focus Correspondent Megan Kamerick talks with members of the Catholic and Jewish communities about how they are trying to adapt faith traditions to the new realities of social distancing.
New Mexico PBS
April 11, 2020
Despite Pleas, Hundreds of Oklahoma Child Care Centers Close
When the coronavirus pandemic hit Oklahoma, state officials urged child care centers to stay open for the children of first responders and other essential personnel. But as of this week, 734 child care centers have closed, according to the Department of Human Services.
Oklahoma Watch
April 10, 2020
WATCH: In New Mexico, a COVID-19 Outbreak in the Navajo Nation
Noel Smith reports on the Navajo Nation for the Farmington Daily Times. Smith is also a tribal member, and has seen her home devastated by a COVID-19 outbreak
April 10, 2020
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WATCH: In Colorado, Protecting Children During Isolation Orders
Child welfare caseworkers in Denver are working to safely visit families who may be at risk during this time of social distancing to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
April 10, 2020
WATCH: In Milwaukee, Stories of Hope, Disparity, "Helpers" and Loss Amid COVID-19
A half-hour long Milwaukee PBS special gives a panoramic view of how the pandemic is impacting the local community.
April 9, 2020
Testing: Are Long Waits for Tests and Results Over?
Oklahoma’s first case of COVID-19 was reported March 17, but until this week, only vulnerable populations and critically ill patients were being tested, based on strict guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Oklahoma Watch
April 5, 2020
For Seniors in Florida’s Villages, Coronavirus Dangers Stack Up
Experts say the huge population of highly social seniors could crush the local health care system, which already has problems.
Tampa Bay Times
April 4, 2020
EPA Rolls Back Regulations During Pandemic, Shifts Burden To States, Tribes
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said last week that because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is allowing regulated industries to use their own discretion to report violations of clean air and water laws.
New Mexico PBS
April 3, 2020
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.