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: New Mexico Under Stay-at-Home Restriction
Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s recent statewide stay-at-home order and the edict that all non-essential businesses must close.
New Mexico PBS
March 27, 2020
Nursing Home Violations, and Now Deaths, Highlight COVID-19 Dangers
As nursing homes across Oklahoma lock down to prevent COVID-19 from spreading to their elderly residents, an Oklahoma Watch analysis found that infection control or prevention violations are common at nursing homes in the state, as they are nationwide.
Oklahoma Watch
March 26, 2020
Nonprofit Mobilizes to Replace Lost School Meals Across Tampa Bay Area
Feeding Tampa Bay has opened 17 drive-through feeding stations across Tampa Bay as up to two-thirds of students in Hillsborough miss out on free school meals.
Tampa Bay Times
March 25, 2020
WATCH: Living and Working in Milwaukee During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Stories of the personal impact of the coronavirus pandemic from the producers and hosts of Milwaukee PBS.
Milwaukee PBS
March 24, 2020
Florida Lagged Behind Dozens of States on Coronavirus Restrictions
Despite a large elderly population that is more vulnerable to the virus, the state has been slower than many others to restrict businesses.
Tampa Bay Times
March 24, 2020
Coronavirus is Crippling Florida’s Unemployment System
As Florida’s economy ground to a halt this week, Floridians flooded the program with calls and website requests, jamming the lines and crashing the website.
Tampa Bay Times
March 21, 2020
Businesses in Tampa Bay Step Up to Help Others Survive Coronavirus
One company decided to forgo collecting rent in April. Two others started making hand sanitizer to give away.
Tampa Bay Times
March 21, 2020
Until Coronavirus Surfaces, Mandates Are Scarce in Rural Communities
Many rural communities across Oklahoma have been hesitant to implement restrictions or closures, especially on businesses, partly because the fast-spreading coronavirus has not yet reached their edges.
Oklahoma Watch
March 21, 2020
WATCH: Coping with Social Distancing in New Mexico; Tracking COVID-19 in Indian Country
Psychiatrists from University of New Mexico share strategies for dealing with the realities of social distancing as the nation responds to the COVID-19 outbreak.
New Mexico PBS
March 20, 2020
Coronavirus Responses Trigger Anxiety, Distress for Vulnerable Oklahomans
For people fighting depression, anxiety or other mental illness, isolation can be more frightening than the coronavirus.
Oklahoma Watch
March 19, 2020
Coronavirus Prompts Cities, Residents to Rethink Use of Storm Shelters
When tornadoes and severe storms threaten communities this spring, residents may find their public storm shelters are not open.
Oklahoma Watch
March 19, 2020
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.