Frontline.org is a fantastically engaging companion to the Public Broadcasting System show Frontline, which, for 26 years, has aired riveting television documentaries on a wide range of public interest issues.

Imagine peeking into the office of a journalist working on a documentary. Notes are spread out on a desk; tapes are piled high on tables. Plenty will be left on the cutting room floor. Similarly, Frontline.org overflows with compelling information and multimedia not included in Frontline’s original documentaries, although organized perhaps less haphazardly than you might find in that office.

Frontline.org, which lives under the parent URL of PBS, is a well-designed, easily navigable archive of Frontline’s shows. Each documentary has its own mini-site (accessible from Frontline.org’s homepage) packed with viewer reactions to the documentary, as well as supplemental audio, video, photographs and relevant links. In some cases, readers can watch the entire show online, making the documentaries accessible to non-American viewers.

On some of the show’s sites, journalists revisit their reporting process, as June Cross does for her Frontline documentary, The Old Man and the Storm. It took Cross two-and-a-half years to report and produce the documentary, which is distilled from more than 350 hours of original and stock footage. The film tells the story of New Orleans resident Herbert Gettridge, whose house was destroyed and family was scattered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Cross documents Gettridge’s attempt to rebuild his house in the neglected Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood with very little state or federal support. Cross uses the Gettridges’ story to illustrate the stalled reconstruction efforts in New Orleans since the devastating storm.

ON THE FRONTLINE: In New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, June Cross interviews the Gettridge family for The Old Man and the Storm. Photo: David Rae Morris

The documentary was broadcast in January 2009. The day after it aired, Cross responded to viewer questions and reactions in a regular online chat hosted for Frontline producers by The Washington Post. In the chat, Cross responded to viewers frustrated by the government’s ineptitude in dealing with the reconstruction of New Orleans. She answered questions about assisting families such as the Gettridges and directed participants to her website, KatrinaRoadHome.org, where she continues to work on the story.

Twenty years ago, a work of this power might have inspired some discussion and debate, but in time, the issues might have faded and died. Now, thanks to Frontline.org and the reach of the Web, the conversation continues.

“It means so much to me,” commented participant Ruth Salvaggio during the chat, “and to many here in the city, I’m sure, that a producer of your distinction has not forgotten about the city. Thank you for bringing alive these people and their voices.”

PBS moderates all comments about and reactions to documentaries before putting them on the website, so a live online chat brings an added element of spontaneity. Cross says the chat was “a really cool, neat way” to respond directly to viewers. PBS also benefits directly from feedback, learning what audiences appreciate and enjoy.

Frontline.org, launched in 1995, had an estimated 15 million users in 2007. The website for Frontline World, an offshoot of Frontline that covers stories on the global community, garnered a Webby People’s Voice Award in 2008 for Best Online Documentary Series, and the larger site has also received numerous awards.

Unlike many news sites that focus purely on breaking stories, Frontline.org uses its archives to provide context to the latest news. For instance, a few days before Israel’s presidential election in January, Frontline.org linked to a 2005 Frontline documentary about extremist settlers who were opposed to a secular Israeli state.

Likewise, links to a 2008 documentary on Afghanistan and a 1999 documentary about American foreign policy provided background for U.S. special advisor Richard Holbrooke’s February 2009 trip to Afghanistan.
Frontline.org is a boon for the filmmakers, says Cross, propping open the door on the documentary process.
“It allows the audience to see part of your process. It helps when you’re … in the cutting room,” says Cross. “It’s very comforting.”

More rockin’ docs online

PBS.org/pov: PBS website of the 2007 Emmy-award winning show P.O.V. America, which features 14 to 16 independently produced non-fiction films annually, including viewer responses.
Amdoc.org: Website of the nonprofit multimedia company that assists with the production of the documentary films broadcasting P.O.V. America.
Documentary.org: Website of the quarterly magazine Documentary; the site features non-fiction films from around the world that have recieved financial support from the International Documentary Association, as well as those honored in the annual IDA awards.
StudentCam.org: Website of the C-Span competition that asks highschool students to submit five-to eight-minute documentaries about specific topics. This website also archives the videos of  previous winners.
Video.nytimes.com: Accompanying the newspaper’s website, the video section of The New York Times features excellent-quality short clips produced by the newsroom’s video team to accompany print pieces.

By Jackie Bischof