A Rust Belt City’s Economic Struggle | Left Behind America (documentary) | FRONTLINE + ProPublica

FRONTLINE and ProPublica chronicled Dayton’s struggle to recover in the aftermath of recession and the economic and social forces shaping the lives of residents in a city where nearly 35% of people lived in poverty. (Aired 2018)

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When “Left Behind America” was released in 2018, the residents of Dayton, Ohio, were still fighting for economic revitalization a decade after the Great Recession. While many American cities and towns bounced back, economic recovery remained elusive for some small and mid-size cities like Dayton that were once hubs for innovation and manufacturing.

The film examined how part-time, low-wage work had become the new normal in Dayton rather than full-time work with benefits. As a result, many families struggled to survive. “The majority of people who come to our pantry work,” said Sunnie Lain, who helped run one of the city’s food pantries, in the documentary. And yet, she said, “we’ve got families watering down soup, and moms trying to figure out how to make a box of mac and cheese last two days.”

The documentary also explored how Dayton was hit hard by the opioid epidemic and how, despite the obstacles, many of its residents took matters into their own hands and focused not just on surviving, but thriving.

Left Behind America was a Middle America Productions Inc. film for WGBH/FRONTLINE in partnership with ProPublica. The producers were Paul Cadieux, Shimon Dotan and Nancy Guerin. The correspondent was Alec MacGillis. The senior producer was Frank Koughan. The executive producer of FRONTLINE was Raney Aronson-Rath.

Explore additional reporting on “Left Behind America” on our website:

#Documentary #Ohio #EconomicCrisis #IncomeInequality #OpioidEpidemic

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FRONTLINE is produced at GBH in 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. Additional support for FRONTLINE is provided by the Abrams Foundation, Park Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund, with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen.

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