PRX Launches ‘The FRONTLINE Dispatch’ from PBS
PRX and PBS have partnered to launch The FRONTLINE Dispatch, a new narrative podcast from the investigative documentary series FRONTLINE.
The stories featured in the podcast build on the tough, fair and deeply reported investigative journalism in FRONTLINE — but they aren’t just audio versions of the TV show.
“At FRONTLINE, now and always, we are committed to in-depth, transparent journalism — and we care deeply about reaching audiences wherever they are, with stories that are vital and authentic,” said FRONTLINE Executive Producer Raney Aronson-Rath, who will introduce each episode of The FRONTLINE Dispatch. “Extending our storytelling into the podcast realm, in a native way that brings all the depth and quality our audience expects from FRONTLINE’s documentaries, is a natural next step.”
Some of the Dispatch episodes will be thematically related to the films, some will be original stories from inside the newsroom, some will be told by radio reporters from around the globe — but all will be supported by the insights of FRONTLINE’s seasoned reporters and producers.
In the first episode, out today, reporter Anjali Tsui and producer Sophie McKibben go inside the battle playing out over child marriage in America. It tells the story of 14-year-old Heather, who, in the summer after 9th grade, discovered she was pregnant. Her boyfriend Aaron was 24. At the time, marriage seemed like a solution to their problems — and maybe a way to keep Aaron out of jail. Listen below.
In season one, other biweekly epiosodes will look at healthcare for 9/11 first responders, affordable housing in the United States and the relationship between fracking and earthquakes in Oklahoma. You can subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic or wherever you get your podcasts.
“All of us on the audio side are fans of FRONTLINE’s remarkable documentary films. It’s a thrill to be formulating the mix of their important journalism with great sonic storytelling,” said Jay Allison, senior editor and creative director of The FRONTLINE Dispatch and creator of The Moth Radio Hour.
Aronson-Rath and Allison are joined on The FRONTLINE Dispatch’s editorial staff by Andrew Metz, executive editor; Jamie York, senior producer; and Sophie McKibben, series producer.
