PBS’ ‘Frontline’ supports 5 local investigations

NEW YORK – PBS’ documentary series “Frontline” has selected five news organizations to collaborate with in a first-time partnership designed to boost local journalism.

The $4 million project, funded by the Knight Foundation and Corporation for Public Broadcasting, supports local reporting teams financially and with expertise from people at “Frontline.”

“Frontline” said Thursday that it will work with PBS in New Mexico on an investigation into contamination of groundwater. It will also work with Rocky Mountain PBS on the topic of youth suicide and with the Tampa Bay Times on local environmental hazards. The other collaborations are with Milwaukee PBS and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on struggling dairy farms and Oklahoma Watch about online schools.

The projects will be released locally, and the “Frontline” digital and broadcasts platforms will expand them to a national audience.

The local teams were chosen from more than 80 proposals.