The FRONTLINE Dispatch

Latest Episodes:

Sept. 11 to Jan. 6 Sep 10, 2021

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As the nation marks the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, the legacy of the terror attacks and their aftermath continues to unfold, from insurrection at the U.S. Capitol to the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Veteran FRONTLINE filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team have been chronicling 9/11 and its impact for two decades in multiple FRONTLINE films, including America After 9/11, an epic re-examination of the decisions that changed the world and transformed the U.S. across four presidencies. The two-hour documentary is now streaming on FRONTLINE’s website, the PBS Video app and YouTube.

Kirk joins The FRONTLINE Dispatch to talk about the through line from Sept. 11 to Jan. 6, as well as ongoing challenges for the U.S. president, the country and the world. "By pulling back, we discovered a lot of dots that could be connected, that actually had a strong relevance to today," Kirk says in the episode.

Introducing: Un(re)solved Jun 18, 2021

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Un(re)solved is an investigative podcast series and part of a multiplatform project from FRONTLINE. What prompted the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate over 150 unsolved civil rights era killings? And what does justice look like for the families of the victims? Reporter James Edwards seeks answers to these questions, reflecting on his own family’s experiences along the way.

Policing the Police in Minnesota Apr 19, 2021

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As Derek Chauvin’s murder trial nears its end and Minnesota roils over the killing of Daunte Wright, calls for police accountability continue. Brooklyn Center Police officer Kim Potter shot and killed Wright, 20, during an April 11 traffic stop. Potter has since resigned and faces charges of second-degree manslaughter.

FRONTLINE correspondent and New Yorker staff writer Jelani Cobb has been on the ground in Minnesota, covering the Chauvin trial. He joins The FRONTLINE Dispatch to discuss the latest from Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center — and what the last few weeks could mean for the future of police accountability in America.

For more from Jelani Cobb and FRONTLINE, listen to our conversation from June 2020, and watch “Policing the Police 2020,” now streaming on YouTube, the PBS Video App and online.

Poisoned: Tampa's Lead Problem Mar 25, 2021

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For years, hundreds of workers at the Gopher Resource lead smelting plant in Florida were exposed to dangerous levels of lead in the air. "Poisoned," a new investigative series from the Tampa Bay Times, in collaboration with FRONTLINE's Local Journalism Initiative, uncovers the consequences of what happened.
Times reporters Corey G. Johnson, Rebecca Woolington and Eli Murray gained access to thousands of pages of regulatory reports, company documents and employee medical records. Johnson joins FRONTLINE's executive producer, Raney Aronson-Rath, on The FRONTLINE Dispatch to discuss the project and what the reporters found after months of investigating.

An Impeachment and An Inauguration Jan 19, 2021

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The Biden administration is set to begin as America copes with a chaotic start to the new year: from an insurrection to a second impeachment of President Trump, all while the COVID-19 death toll reaches new heights.
Veteran FRONTLINE filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team have been chronicling the 2020 presidential election and the ensuing fallout for multiple FRONTLINE films, including President Biden, airing January 19 on PBS.

Kirk joins The FRONTLINE Dispatch to talk about this moment in American history and what lies ahead for President-elect Joe Biden. "Is he right for the times? If he is, it's a presidency for the century," Kirk said.

Chaos at the Capitol Jan 09, 2021

Show notes

A violent mob of President Donald Trump's supporters invaded the U.S. Capitol on January 6, as Congress met to certify Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States. The rioters plotted for weeks beforehand on social media, mobilizing around the president's false claims of a stolen election.

Who are the forces behind the attack, how did it unfold and why was the law enforcement presence so easily overpowered?

ProPublica reporter and FRONTLINE correspondent A.C. Thompson, who covered the rise of right-wing extremism for our joint "Documenting Hate" series, joins The FRONTLINE Dispatch to discuss what happened at the Capitol and what the future may hold.

Thompson’s reporting is part of an ongoing collaboration between ProPublica and FRONTLINE that includes an upcoming documentary.

I'm Not A Monster: Episode 3 Dec 14, 2020

Show notes

I’m Not A Monster is a new multi-part investigative series from FRONTLINE, BBC Sounds, and BBC Panorama.

FRONTLINE is featuring the first few episodes of the series here for listeners of The FRONTLINE Dispatch.

In episode 3, the Islamic State group forces Sam’s son Matthew to spread its propaganda. Josh searches the woods of Idaho looking for a man on an elk hunt. Then an obscure tweet leads him to Syria to try to find the family.

I'm Not A Monster: Episode 2 Dec 10, 2020

Show notes

I’m Not A Monster is a new multi-part investigative series from FRONTLINE, BBC Sounds, and BBC Panorama.

FRONTLINE is featuring the first few episodes of the series here for listeners of The FRONTLINE Dispatch.

In episode 2, a man who says he’s a people smuggler offers to help the family, while a drive around a suburb in Indiana reveals their past. Sam’s father adds a new twist on who his daughter really is.

I'm Not A Monster: Episode 1 Dec 07, 2020

Show notes

I’m Not A Monster is a new multi-part investigative series from FRONTLINE, BBC Sounds, and BBC Panorama.

FRONTLINE is featuring the first few episodes of the series here for listeners of The FRONTLINE Dispatch.

In episode 1, a suicide bombing in Iraq and a home video from inside the ISIS caliphate begin the search for a family trapped in Syria. A desperate plea arrives from an American woman who says she wants to escape the Islamic State group with her young children.

Capturing ‘American Voices’ in a Year of Turmoil Nov 21, 2020

Show notes

When the pandemic hit, Dr. Blair Woodbury picked up the phone. He called his old friend, filmmaker Mike Shum, and urged him to get out and start recording the first draft of history.

That's how the new FRONTLINE documentary "American Voices: A Nation in Turmoil" was born. Shum, Woodbury and a team of independent filmmakers across America have been documenting how people are living through this tumultuous year — from the pandemic, to the widespread protests over racial injustice, through the historically polarized presidential election.

Shum and Woodbury join this episode of The FRONTLINE Dispatch to discuss the ambitious project and how the story of 2020 continues to evolve.

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