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The FRONTLINE Dispatch

GBH

FRONTLINE Editor-in-Chief and Executive Producer Raney Aronson-Rath sits down with journalists and filmmakers for probing conversations about the investigative journalism that drives each FRONTLINE documentary and the stories that shape our time.

This work matters. At a time when deep-dive reporting is more vital than ever, your support ensures FRONTLINE can continue to hold power accountable. Join our community of supporters here by making a contribution to keep this work going. 


Produced by Joel Patterson at FRONTLINE’s headquarters at GBH and powered by PRX.


The FRONTLINE Dispatch is made possible by the Abrams Foundation Journalism Initiative.

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  • 28 episodes
  • Avg 32 min
  • English

Episodes 28

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  • Tuesday · 35 min

    A Man-Made Disaster, Episode 3: Disaster Politics

    Two years after Hurricane Helene killed more than 100 people in the state and caused nearly $60 billion in damage, Western North Carolina is still struggling to recover. In many places, debris is piled high, roads and bridges are gone and people are living in damaged homes – much like they were right after the storm. A year-long investigation by Blue Ridge Public Radio found that policy changes and cuts to FEMA made by the Trump administration have left disaster-stricken communities waiting longer — or excluded altogether — from help that's been promised. In Episode 3 of A Man-Made Disaster, the U.S. Congress has failed to pass funding that could help thousands of survivors of Hurricane Helene. Why has aid been so hard to get? For more about Hurricane Helene, stream our 2025 documentary, Hurricane Helene’s Deadly Warning on the FRONTLINE website, our YouTube channel, or the PBS App. Listen to the enhanced audio-only version of Hurricane Helene's Deadly Warning on our website, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

  • Monday · 42 min

    A Man-Made Disaster, Episode 2: Winners and Losers

    Two years after Hurricane Helene killed more than 100 people in the state and caused nearly $60 billion in damage, Western North Carolina is still struggling to recover. In many places, debris is piled high, roads and bridges are gone and people are living in damaged homes – much like they were right after the storm. A year-long investigation by Blue Ridge Public Radio found that policy changes and cuts to FEMA made by the Trump administration have left disaster-stricken communities waiting longer — or excluded altogether — from help that's been promised. In Episode 2 of A Man-Made Disaster, many homeowners who survived Helene expected to rely on a federal program to buy their homes. But changes to the program have made it harder for them to get help — and may leave communities less safe in future storms. For more about Hurricane Helene, stream our 2025 documentary, Hurricane Helene’s Deadly Warning on the FRONTLINE website, our YouTube channel, or the PBS App. Listen to the enhanced audio-only version of Hurricane Helene's Deadly Warning on our website, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

  • Monday · 49 min

    A Man-Made Disaster, Episode 1: The Wasteland

    Two years after Hurricane Helene killed more than 100 people in the state and caused nearly $60 billion in damage, Western North Carolina is still struggling to recover. In many places, debris is piled high, roads and bridges are gone and people are living in damaged homes – much like they were right after the storm. A year-long investigation by Blue Ridge Public Radio found that policy changes and cuts to FEMA made by the Trump administration have left disaster-stricken communities waiting longer — or excluded altogether — from help that's been promised. In Episode 1 of A Man-Made Disaster, heaps of storm debris still clogs rivers and land throughout Western North Carolina due to bureaucratic hurdles and FEMA cuts. Communities can’t begin to rebuild until the debris is cleared. For more about Hurricane Helene, stream our 2025 documentary, Hurricane Helene’s Deadly Warning on the FRONTLINE website, our YouTube channel, or the PBS App. Listen to the enhanced audio-only version of Hurricane Helene's Deadly Warning on our website, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

  • November 3 · 21 min

    From the Pandemic to the Midterms: American Voices 2026

    Over the past six years, Americans have navigated a worldwide pandemic, economic volatility, a racial reckoning, and political division. Since the spring of 2020, director Mike Shum has tracked a diverse group of voters across the country, documenting how they’ve experienced these historic shifts. American Voices 2026, the third installment in the unique American Voices documentary project, reveals where these voters stand now, in the runup to the 2026 midterms. In this episode of The FRONTLINE Dispatch, Shum joins host Raney Aronson-Rath to discuss following these voters across election cycles, the candid moments that can sometimes bridge political divides, and how his subjects have evolved politically as their everyday lives change. Listen to The FRONTLINE Dispatch on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. American Voices 2026 is available to stream now on FRONTLINE's website, FRONTLINE's YouTube channel and the PBS App.

  • October 15 · 22 min

    Inside the Global Scam Industry

    Online scams have become a massive global enterprise, stealing billions of dollars by exploiting technologies we have come to rely on. A yearlong investigation by FRONTLINE and The Associated Press reveals how transnational networks leverage social media platforms, fake cryptocurrency investment traps, and targeted sextortion schemes to systematically drain life savings and leave victims shattered. Scammed director Peter Klein joins host Raney Aronson-Rath to examine cybercriminals' use of artificial intelligence to scale their operations, how people are fighting back, and what warning signs to look out for to protect yourself from online fraud. Listen to The FRONTLINE Dispatch on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Scammed is available to stream now on FRONTLINE’s website, FRONTLINE’s YouTube channel, and the PBS App.

  • September 11 · 53 min

    The Weight of Dust: 25 Years After 9/11

    On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Amy Gaines McQuade’s 2018 story about her dad, Scott. An NYC police officer and first responder to the attacks on the World Trade Center, Scott was later diagnosed with what he was convinced was Ground Zero-related cancer — and Amy set out on a search for answers.

  • August 25 · 44 min

    National Interest vs. Human Rights: John Bolton on U.S.-Saudi Ties

    Former National Security Adviser John Bolton talks with Martin Smith about U.S.-Saudi relations and balancing national security interests with human rights. The interview was originally filmed for Smith’s 2026 documentary The Crown Prince & the President and has been edited for length and clarity.

  • August 5 · 15 min

    Black Lung Rates Rise Among Veteran Appalachian Coal Miners

    As many as one in three longtime miners in Appalachia have tested positive for black lung disease, according to new federal research. On this episode of The FRONTLINE Dispatch, a replay of reporter Howard Berkes' 2019 interviews with several miners experiencing varying stages of black lung disease about how it has irrevocably changed their lives.

  • July 30 · 24 min

    Inside the Trump-MBS Alliance

    Veteran correspondent and filmmaker Martin Smith discusses the evolution of the Saudi-U.S. relationship and how Trump and MBS bypassed diplomatic norms to form a new kind of alliance.

  • July 22 · 5 min

    After The Flood: A Note on Episode 5

    As the teams from The Texas Newsroom and FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative were putting the finishing touches on the fifth and final episode of After the Flood, another devastating flood hit the Texas Hill Country. So, we decided to pivot. How were these two floods different? Were elected officials better prepared? Did residents get timely information? That's going to take some time to figure out, so the release of the final episode will be postponed a week. In the meantime, we caught up with Bob Canales and Lorena Guillen, owners of the Blue Oak RV Park in Kerrville. You heard from them in episode one. We wanted to know how yet another historic flood hitting this part of Texas was affecting them and their community. After the Flood is a collaboration between FRONTLINE and The Texas Newsroom.

  • July 15 · 37 min

    After The Flood, Episode 4: Feeling Forgotten

    On July 5th, one day after the deadly floods in Kerr County, another flood hit the community of Sandy Creek 100 miles away. Nine people died and more than 100 homes were damaged or destroyed. In the months that followed, survivors discovered what many disaster victims confront: just how complicated recovering can be. After the Flood is a collaboration between FRONTLINE and The Texas Newsroom.

  • July 8 · 34 min

    After The Flood, Episode 3: Who, When, Where … and Now What?

    In this episode, Camp Mystic families head to the Capitol in Austin to fight for stronger regulations around summer camps. And the Childress family finally learns what really happened the night their 18-year-old daughter Chloe died in the flood. After the Flood is a collaboration between FRONTLINE and The Texas Newsroom.

  • June 30 · 28 min

    Economist Stephen Moore's Supply-Side Critique of the Fed

    In this episode of The FRONTLINE Dispatch, an extended interview from the documentary The President vs. the Fed. Director James Jacoby sits down with prominent conservative economist Stephen Moore, a senior economic adviser during Donald Trump’s first administration and an architect of the 2017 Trump tax cuts. Moore offers an insider’s perspective on the friction between the Trump White House and the central bank, presenting a sharp supply-side critique of the Fed's traditional economic models.

  • June 24 · 32 min

    After The Flood, Episode 1: The Day Of

    Matthew Childress and his wife, Wendie, learn that their daughter, Chloe, an 18-year-old counselor at Camp Mystic, is missing. And residents in Kerr County recount how they survived the grueling initial hours of the flood.

Showing 1–20 of 28 episodes