Retro Report

Retro Report Stories from History. Lessons for Today. Free classroom-ready videos and lessons that spark engagement and bring history to life. What really happened?

Learn more: https://retroreport.org/

Teachers, create your free account here: https://retroreport.org/join-retro-report How often does a great story dominate the headlines, only to be dropped from the news cycle? How often do journalists tell us of a looming danger or important discovery – only to move quickly to the next new thing? How did these events change us? And what are the lingering consequences that may affect our society to this day? These are the questions we are answering at Retro Report, an innovative documentary news organization launched in 2013 as a timely online counterweight to today's 24/7 news cycle. Combining documentary techniques with shoe-leather reporting, we peel back the layers of some of the most perplexing news stories of our past with the goal of encouraging the public to think more critically about current events and the media. Retro Report is founded on the conviction that without a smart, engaging and forward-looking review of these high-profile events – and the news coverage surrounding them – we have wasted an opportunity to understand the lessons of history. The accelerating information age makes reversing this trend only more crucial. With journalistic success increasingly measured in page views, retweets and Facebook likes, there is dwindling interest or ability among news organizations to follow up on the stories they cover. Complicating matters, the first draft of history can be wrong. When news organizations fail to invest the time and money required to correct the record or provide context around what really happened, myth can replace truth. The results are policy decisions and cultural trends built on error, misunderstanding or flat-out lies. Retro Report is there to pick up the story after everyone has moved on, connecting the dots from yesterday to today, correcting the record and providing a permanent living library where viewers can gain new insight into the events that shaped their lives.

AP takes a look at In Pursuit USA, More Perfect’s series of essays exploring lessons from American presidents and first ...
08/10/2026

AP takes a look at In Pursuit USA, More Perfect’s series of essays exploring lessons from American presidents and first ladies, with contributions from George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Michelle Obama, Chief Justice John Roberts and Ken Burns.

Retro Report’s new documentary special, In Pursuit: Lessons of American Leadership, is based on those essays. The special premieres Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS app.

Read the AP story: https://apnews.com/article/archivist-bush-clinton-obama-trump-essays-presidency-14a0ba0c2fc66ab79abfba0a85f7e499?utm_source=LinkedIn&utm_medium=share

Learn more about the documentary: https://retroreport.org/articles/in-pursuit-lessons-of-american-leadership-premieres-tuesday-october-27-2026-on-pbs/?_thumbnail_id=120966

Three ex-presidents have joined an all-star roster of historians in contributing to a series of essays about presidents back to George Washington.

08/10/2026

CLASSROOM-READY RESOURCES: Access our Teaching with Primary Sources collection, which features 40 films that fit seamlessly into U.S. History and Civics courses. Each short film is accompanied by a primary source pack and scaffolded writing outlines to meet the needs of a variety of learners. Explore: https://retroreport.org/collection/tps-project-collection/

  in 1974, President Nixon resigned from office. Do you teach your students about the   scandal? Access this popular vid...
08/09/2026

in 1974, President Nixon resigned from office. Do you teach your students about the scandal?

Access this popular video and lesson plan today, which explore how Watergate and Citizens United helped shape campaign finance law. Learn more:

Retro Report is an independent, nonprofit newsroom creating trusted documentary videos and classroom resources.

  in 1945, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. In this Emmy Award-winning v...
08/09/2026

in 1945, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.

In this Emmy Award-winning video, Japan’s atom bomb survivors share their stories. Learn more:

Retro Report is an independent, nonprofit newsroom creating trusted documentary videos and classroom resources.

Are you starting to prep your lessons for the fall? Browse Retro Report’s 350+ free short videos and hundreds of ready-t...
08/08/2026

Are you starting to prep your lessons for the fall? Browse Retro Report’s 350+ free short videos and hundreds of ready-to-use materials that are designed to fit any subject or class period. Register for free access today: bit.ly/RR-Reg

  teachers, are you looking for free resources to incorporate into your fall lessons? Browse Retro Report's free, curric...
08/07/2026

teachers, are you looking for free resources to incorporate into your fall lessons? Browse Retro Report's free, curriculum-aligned AP collections on a range of subjects, including , , and today: bit.ly/RR-APCourses

  in 1978, President Jimmy Carter issued an emergency declaration at Love Canal. For the first time in U.S. history, fed...
08/07/2026

in 1978, President Jimmy Carter issued an emergency declaration at Love Canal. For the first time in U.S. history, federal emergency funds were used in an event that didn't involve a "natural" disaster. Learn more about the Love Canal disaster in this video and related lesson plans:

Retro Report is an independent, nonprofit newsroom creating trusted documentary videos and classroom resources.

08/06/2026

, have you explored Retro Report's variety of free interactive resources?

Browse interactive maps, timelines and other tools on our website today: https://retroreport.org/interactive/

FREE EDUCATION EVENT: As we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11, how do we teach this history to students who didn’t l...
08/06/2026

FREE EDUCATION EVENT: As we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11, how do we teach this history to students who didn’t live through it?

Join Retro Report and The New York Historical for the premiere of a 9/11 short film on 8/27, followed by a Q&A with guest speakers. Plus, learn about free, classroom-ready 9/11 resources.

R.S.V.P. today: bit.ly/RR-events

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