Raising Adam Lanza: Press Release

HARTFORD COURANT AND PBS’S FRONTLINE PARTNER ON POST-NEWTOWN TRAGEDY COVERAGE

HARTFORD (Thursday, February 7, 2013) – Richard Graziano, publisher, president and CEO of the Hartford Courant and general manager of FOX CT/WCCT-TV, and Raney Aronson-Rath, deputy executive producer of PBS’ flagship investigative journalism series FRONTLINE, announced today a special investigative collaboration that focuses on enlightening the tragic events in Newtown, Conn. on Dec. 14, 2012.

The Hartford Courant and FRONTLINE will join forces to examine the aftermath of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. The news outlets will explore answers two critical questions sparked by the tragedy: who was Adam Lanza and what was the nature of his relationship with his mother?; and will this tragedy change the profoundly divisive debate over guns in America?

A two-part episode of FRONTLINE Raising Adam Lanza and Newtown Divided premieres Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 10pm on PBS (check local listings). The first Hartford Courant story will run on Sunday, Feb. 17.

“This tragedy has touched us all deeply,” said Hartford Courant Editor Andrew Julien. “There are important questions that still need to be answered and we are working hard to get those answers. Working with an organization like FRONTLINE adds depth and richness to our coverage.”

“The Hartford Courant knows this story intimately and deeply,” said FRONTLINE Deputy Executive Producer Raney Aronson-Rath, “They have covered the Newtown shooting more extensively than any other media outlet. FRONTLINE is pleased to collaborate with The Courant to bring this important investigation to a national audience on PBS.”

“I am honored that Connecticut’s Newsroom was able to partner with FRONTLINE for this thought-provoking special investigation” said Graziano. “The Hartford Courant, coupled with footage provided by FOX CT and the nationwide reach and reputation of PBS makes this a powerful partnership.

FRONTLINE’s Raising Adam Lanza and Newtown Divided are part of PBS’ “After Newtown Initiative,” a series of documentaries, news reports and public affairs programs that provides thought-provoking context to the national conversation about gun violence in America. PBS is harnessing its science, documentary and public affairs divisions – with a tradition of unbiased reporting that makes it America’s most trusted source of news – to provide in-depth reporting on the myriad issues related to gun violence, including gun laws, mental health support and availability, and school safety.

“After the horrible events in Newtown, we asked ourselves what we could do, as public service media, to add context and analysis to the news coverage,” said Beth Hoppe, PBS Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming. “We believe our public affairs and science shows will bring additional perspective and continue the national conversation about this specific tragedy and open a wider lens on how mass shootings affect us all. We’re extremely proud that FRONTLINE and the Hartford Courant have partnered on these very important stories.”

http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/newtown-sandy-hook-school-shooting/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/raising-adam-lanza/

FRONTLINE Press Contacts:
Diane Hebert-Farrell, diane_hebert_farrell@wgbh.org, 617-300-5366
Patrice Taddonio, patrice_taddonio@wgbh.org, 617-300-5375

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FRONTLINE is produced by WGBH Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Park Foundation and by the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund. FRONTLINE is closed-captioned for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers by the Media Access Group at WGBH. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of the WGBH Educational Foundation.