As 2023 Ends, a Look Back, and a Look Forward

Last week, we received some heartening news about 20 Days in Mariupol, our documentary with The Associated Press chronicling the experience of the last international journalists to report from the Ukrainian port city as Russian troops attacked.

The documentary has been selected for the 96th Academy Awards shortlists in two categories, Documentary Feature Film and International Feature Film.

I am so gratified that this documentary — a harrowing and powerful account of journalists risking their lives to share the truth of the Ukraine war with the world — is receiving this level of mainstream recognition.

As I wrote in Nieman Lab earlier this month, the type of reporting on display in the documentary by Ukrainian AP video journalist Mstyslav Chernov and his colleagues shows the remarkable value of a journalist being in the field, in communication with skilled editors, able to methodically verify facts and dispel mis- and disinformation.

This is the sort of rigorous, fact-based journalism we are committed to at FRONTLINE, and that we have practiced throughout all of 2023 to the best of our ability — thanks to your support.

Over the past 12 months, in addition to Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, you’ve come along with us as we’ve taken deep dives into other conflicts: the Israel-Gaza war, how America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan culminated in Taliban victory, and the lingering impact of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, two decades later.

You’ve tuned in as we and our editorial partners have investigated one of America’s worst school shootings, deadly truck accidents and the fight over measures to prevent them, the use of spyware on human rights activists and journalists, one of the biggest leaks of classified information in U.S. history, and the ramifications of the Federal Reserve’s policies on the economy.

You’ve watched as we’ve chronicled powerful people with profound impact on our country and world: X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk; Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife, Ginni; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell; Russian President Vladimir Putin; and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

And you’ve been there as we’ve asked tough questions about everything from the U.S. criminal justice system, to the Iranian government’s crackdown on protesters and the Russian government’s crackdown on the press.

It is my pledge to you that throughout 2024, we will continue to bring you trustworthy investigative journalism that explains and questions both the world around us, and the powerful people and systems shaping it.

Stay tuned for more details, but in January we expect to bring you new reporting from Ramita Navai in the West Bank in connection with the Israel-Hamas conflict, and a two-hour special from filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team, Democracy on Trial, on the roots of the criminal cases against former President Trump stemming from his 2020 election loss.

Thank you for your belief in our reporting and its value. Your support and trust are what helps to make this work possible, year in and year out.