Partner, Local Journalism Initiative

The PBS series FRONTLINE partners with local news organizations on investigative projects through our Local Journalism Initiative. We are now accepting project proposals for 2025-26.

LJI, launched in 2019, provides support to local news organizations to produce a specific investigative journalism project. Our focus is on communities where independent reporting is endangered by financial pressures on news media.

We’re looking for great stories in every medium — text, photography, audio and digital video. In some cases, a project may also be considered for a FRONTLINE documentary.

We'll select several partners based on the strength of the proposed investigation, the reporting team's demonstrated ability to execute the project and the newsroom's location in a region underserved by local news.

To see work from previous Local Journalism Initiative projects, check https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/topic/local-journalism/

Through the partnerships, FRONTLINE will provide:

- The annual salary for a reporter. The financial support is designed to free the reporter from deadline journalism to pursue an in-depth reporting project lasting approximately 6-12 months.
- Additional reporting resources. Depending on the needs of the investigation, we may provide supplemental funding for visual storytelling, research, database building, FOIA requests, travel or other expenses.
- Editorial guidance from FRONTLINE. FRONTLINE editors offer weekly, hands-on editorial support tailored to partners' needs.
- Advice from FRONTLINE’s audience development and impact teams. We’ll help strategize about how to build community engagement with the project and extend the reach of the partner's reporting within the local community.
- Support for training. We’ll collaborate with partners to design specific training for local journalists in areas that can help make investigative journalism and storytelling sustainable.

Newsrooms are welcome to submit more than one proposal.

The application deadline is Monday, June 2, 2025. Our 2025-26 partners will be announced by July 1.

Questions? Email frontlinelocal@wgbh.org.

Join FRONTLINE editors for a Zoom info session: Thursday, May 22, 12-1p (ET). Register here: https://forms.gle/L3W7N4jTvRT8kfPT6

We look forward to receiving your proposal.