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Violent domestic extremism in “American Insurrection” on FRONTLINE, January 4 at 10 pm

Posted on: Wednesday, December 29, 2021

FRONTLINE and ProPublica Investigate Violent Domestic Extremism in “American Insurrection”

American Insurrection
Tues., January 4, 2022
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Over the last three years, FRONTLINE has collaborated with ProPublica to investigate the rise of extremism in America — from the deadly Charlottesville rally in 2017, to a neo-Nazi group that has actively recruited inside the U.S. military, to the assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

On April 13, FRONTLINE and ProPublica will release American Insurrection: a timely new documentary that probes the far-right groups and leaders responsible for the recent threats and violence.

The documentary is from the same team behind FRONTLINE and ProPublica’s award-winning Documenting Hate series. Correspondent A.C. Thompson, director Rick Rowley and producers Karim Hajj and Jacquie Soohen explore how far-right groups were emboldened and encouraged by former President Trump, how individuals were radicalized and brought into the political landscape — and what the fears and concerns are going forward.

“For the last few years, many of these far-right groups and militias have been talking about civil war, about overthrowing the government,” says Thompson. “These groups talk about revolution and believe that we have a tyrannical and profoundly corrupt government that prevented Trump from winning a second term.”

A stunning and urgent report, American Insurrection will investigate the threat posed by violent, far-right groups that see themselves as defending the U.S. constitution but are tied to anti-government, white supremacist ideologies and criminality.

American Insurrection will be the first in a series of new FRONTLINE documentaries examining the swell of violent extremism around the world. It is supported by Exploring Hate, a new, multiplatform public media initiative from The WNET Group in New York aimed at offering an in-depth understanding of the rising tide of hatred, hate crimes, anti-Semitism and racism.

FILE – In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, violent rioters supporting President Donald Trump, storm the Capitol in Washington. A faction of local, county and state Republican officials across the country is pushing lies, misinformation and conspiracy theories online that echo those that helped inspire the violent Capitol insurrection, forcing the GOP into an internal reckoning.. [AP Photo | John Minchillo, File]

“While we have reported on the division former President Trump stoked from the first days of his presidency to his last, the recent attack on the Capitol has reinforced the need for journalism that holds those in power to account — and for tough reporting on the threats of domestic and international extremism,” says Raney Aronson-Rath, executive producer of FRONTLINE. “We are committed to keeping our pulse on this urgent and evolving issue, and grateful to our partners at ProPublica and WNET.”

“We are proud to partner with FRONTLINE to launch the Exploring Hate: Anti-Semitism, Racism and Extremism reporting initiative,” says Neal Shapiro, president and CEO of The WNET Group. “FRONTLINE is the gold standard in investigative broadcast journalism. Their thoughtful and thorough examination of the rise of political extremism and violence in our country will offer important context as we work to advance education and understanding around this issue.”