Reveal

The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) brings its signature investigative journalism back to public television this spring with another installment of Reveal, a four-part series presented by KQED. Reveal is a first-of-its-kind television show that brings viewers deep into investigations and captures the drama and high stakes of the reporting process. The magazine-format program leads with a documentary story followed by shorter pieces and a "true cartoon" animation, and each hour-long episode explores crucial, and often underreported issues: from Terrorist Hunting to finding the families of Jane and John Doe's. Hidden stories, uncovered; that's what this series is all about.

Reveal By Episode

The Terrorist Hunter (#201)
Reveal takes a look at the ways the U.S. has reacted to terrorism. In "The Terrorist Hunter," director Ann Shin profiles a controversial spy, lauded by some for fighting terrorism and derided by others who claim she finds terror plots where none exist. The episode also explores the challenges that survivors of mass shootings face and uncovers the secret history of American surveillance.
Freedom Fighters (#202)
Reveal features two-time Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's short documentary "Freedom Fighters," which profiles three remarkable women battling for equal rights in one of the world's most dangerous countries for women. In addition, the episode delves into the potential dangers women face when they donate eggs to fertility clinics and the story of two women who gave up everything to help those at risk of deportation.
Nellie Bly Makes The News (#203)
Director Penny Lane's "Nellie Bly Makes the News" headlines an episode of Reveal showcasing animated documentaries and innovative, groundbreaking storytelling. Using diverse stylistic approaches, the hour covers a wide range of topics, from the story of a muckraking journalist who changed the game for women in reporting before women even had the right to vote to the surprising origin story of the humble strawberry.
The Dead Unknown (#204)
Reveal examines what the Justice Department has called "the nation's silent mass disaster." For decades, there was no way to link the lists of missing persons around the country with the unidentified John and Jane Does in morgues and cemeteries, leaving many families in the dark about their loved ones' fate. Director Michael I Schiller's "The Dead Unknown" follows investigators in real time over the course of a year as they attempt to find the identity of one 50-year-old cold case. The hour also looks at efforts to prevent deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border and the Standing Rock Sioux's historic faceoff with the U.S. government decades before the oil pipeline.