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| Frontline (American documentary series) | |
|---|---|
| Show name | Frontline |
| Caption | Frontline logo |
| Genre | Documentary |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Company | WGBH Boston |
| Distributor | PBS |
| Network | PBS |
| First aired | 1983 |
Frontline (American documentary series) Frontline is an American investigative documentary television series produced by WGBH-TV and distributed by Public Broadcasting Service that has aired since 1983. The series is known for long-form reporting on subjects ranging from politics to international affairs, profiling figures such as Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and institutions including Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Congress, Supreme Court of the United States, and World Health Organization. Frontline has chronicled events like the Iran–Contra affair, 9/11 attacks, Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, Global Financial Crisis of 2007–2008, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frontline presents investigative journalism in documentary form, combining reports on individuals such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un, Fidel Castro, Viktor Yanukovych, Bashar al-Assad and examinations of institutions like International Monetary Fund, World Bank, European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, United Nations, and Interpol. Episodes have addressed crises including the Iran hostage crisis, Fall of Saigon, Rwandan genocide, Bosnian War, Syrian civil war, Libya intervention (2011), Afghanistan War (2001–2021), Mexican Drug War, and the Syrian refugee crisis. The series situates reporting amid landmark legal matters such as Roe v. Wade, Brown v. Board of Education, Bush v. Gore, Watergate scandal, and policy debates tied to legislation like the Patriot Act, Affordable Care Act, and Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
Produced by WGBH Educational Foundation with funding from entities including foundations tied to Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Knight Foundation, and corporate underwriters, Frontline employs long-form narrative structures similar to documentaries from Ken Burns, Errol Morris, Alex Gibney, Michael Moore, Barbara Kopple, Frederick Wiseman, and D.A. Pennebaker. Episodes typically range from one hour to multi-part series and combine interviews with figures like Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, Robert Mueller, James Comey, Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, Greta Thunberg, and primary-source materials from archives such as National Archives and Records Administration, Library of Congress, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Smithsonian Institution.
Frontline has produced landmark reports on topics including "The Fall of Enron" examining Kenneth Lay, Jeffrey Skilling, Andrew Fastow and corporate entities like Arthur Andersen; investigations into "The Secret State" involving Watergate scandal figures; profiles of "The Syrian Dilemma" covering Bashar al-Assad and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; and multi-part series such as "The Bomb" on Manhattan Project histories and "United States of Secrets" featuring National Security Agency revelations tied to Edward Snowden. It has scrutinized financial crises involving Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs, AIG, Morgan Stanley, and regulatory agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve System. Episodes have also explored social issues through profiles of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali, Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Jeffrey Epstein, and cases connected to #MeToo movement activists.
Frontline's investigations have influenced public discourse and hearings in bodies such as the United States Congress, inquiries by the Department of Justice, reporting cited by Supreme Court of the United States opinions, and coverage amplified by outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, and ProPublica. The program's methodological approach has been discussed in academic venues including Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Harvard Kennedy School, University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication, and Oxford Internet Institute. Frontline's work has shaped debates on policy tied to the Affordable Care Act, No Child Left Behind Act, Medicare Part D, and international accords like the Paris Agreement.
Frontline and its contributors have received numerous honors including Peabody Awards, Emmy Awards, George Polk Awards, Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, Investigative Reporters and Editors awards, Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Awards, Pulitzer Prize citations for collaborators, and recognition from institutions such as American Film Institute, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Distributed by Public Broadcasting Service, Frontline airs on stations including WGBH-TV, is available on PBS platforms, and streams through services associated with entities like Apple TV, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and public archives hosted by Internet Archive. Episodes are used in curricula at universities such as Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Stanford University, Columbia University, and in courses at think tanks including Brookings Institution, Council on Foreign Relations, and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Frontline has faced criticism and controversy over editorial choices involving subjects like coverage of Iraq War (2003–2011), handling of material related to Edward Snowden, portrayal of Aung San Suu Kyi amid the Rohingya conflict, and investigations concerning Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby. Critics from organizations such as Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Committee to Protect Journalists, Media Matters for America, and commentators at National Review and The Atlantic have debated sourcing, balance, and funding transparency, while legal challenges have invoked courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and filings in United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Category:American documentary television series