WRAL Video documentaries about issues and events in North Carolina, including the "Focal Point" series.

WRAL Documentaries

WRAL documentary, WRAL doc, documentaries

WRAL shows how fentanyl has destroyed the lives of thousands of North Carolinians across the state, what the state is doing to fight this epidemic and what more is needed to save lives.

WRAL Documentary: Crisis Next Door explores impact on families of illicit fentanyl

WRAL Documentary: Crisis Next Door

Aftermath: North Carolina hurricane victims still feel left behind years later

Aftermath: North Carolina Hurricane Victims Left Behind

Critical Term: Why are Black mothers and babies dying?

WRAL Documentary Durham Under Fire investigates how city is fighting complex issue of gun violence 

WRAL Doc: Durham Under Fire

WRAL Documentary 'Pandemic Generation: Kids in Crisis'

Pandemic Generation: Kids in Crisis 

New WRAL Documentary 'Leandro: The Case for a Sound Basic Education' debuts Wednesday

Leandro: The Case for a Sound Basic Education

WRAL's latest documentary, Fish Farms, explores one of North Carolina's best kept secrets. Aquaculture, or the farming of fish and seafood, is a thriving industry that brings over $60 million in revenue to the state each year​.

Fish Farms: Aquaculture industry thriving in North Carolina's backyard 

The Skin We're In

Moment of Truth: The never-before-seen story behind the tragic murder of James Jordan

Moment of Truth

Home Economics

WRAL Documentary: Home Economics

WRAL Documentary: MaryAnn

The ability to do business, get an education and get quality health care are becoming increasingly dependent on access to a high-speed Internet connection or broadband. WRAL News reporter and anchor Monica Laliberte narrates "Disconnected," March 19 at 7:30 p.m. on WRAL-TV, WILM-TV, wraldocumentary.com and the WRAL channels on Amazon Fire, Apple TV and Roku.

WRAL Documentary: Disconnected

It's hard to imagine being a parent and losing a child to suicide. So it's startling to learn that the suicide rate among teens in North Carolina has doubled in the last decade according to a recent study. A new WRAL Documentary examines the issue of teen depression and suicide through the personal story of a young woman who's battled depression since eighth grade and attempted suicide at 16.

Out of the Darkness

WRAL Documentary: Out of the Darkness

The new WRAL documentary "Finding a Fix" is an update to the 2017 WRAL Documentary "Searching for a Fix." That program shared the personal stories of families who've lost loved ones to overdose, revealed how first responders are dealing with the crisis, looked at the challenges of getting people addicted to opioids into treatment and examined how policymakers were dealing with the epidemic.

Finding a Fix

Finding  a Fix

In 1990, the Neuse River was on the brink of catastrophe. Thirty years later, the Neuse is in trouble again. Four prominent scientists who helped WRAL to study the Neuse back then agreed to help again. We also interviewed local and state political leaders, river keepers, activists and fishermen about the state of the Neuse and what must be done to protect it.

WRAL Doc: New Trouble on the Neuse River

Bill Leslie by the Neuse River

How does one local television newsroom hope to cover what will be a relentless hurricane with historic flooding?  The documentary "75 Hours" tells the story behind the story of the people on the front lines of Hurricane Florence.  "75 Hours" premieres Thursday, November 29 at 7pm on WRAL-TV, WILM-TV, wraldocumentary.com, Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. 

75 Hours

Hurricane Florence floods New Bern

The WRAL Documentary, "Connecting the Bots," examines how automation is changing the workplace. It goes inside a textile mill near Hickory where robots sew socks that are manufactured without ever being touched by a human hand. It tours a giant greenhouse where automated systems include robots that space plants as they grow. It visits a company in Sanford that makes robots that make other products and a company in Matthews that automates woodworking assembly lines eliminating the need for human labor.

Connecting the Bots

Knight Chamberlain had a happy childhood, growing up in the small mountain town of Brevard North Carolina.  Then, at nine-years-old a stranger sexually assaulted him near his home and his life changed forever.  



Speaking the Unspeakable

WRAL Documentary: Speaking the Unspeakable

Immigration is a polarizing issue and the subject of an ongoing national debate. The issue isn't just political or ideological, especially in our state. 

Land of Opportunity

Scientists are predicting about a three-foot rise in sea level along North Carolina's coast by 2100, which would have devastating impacts on our coastal communities.

Sea Change 

You heard a lot about wealth disparity and the top one-percent in last year's presidential election. The top one percent in the United States earns about 38 times more than the bottom 90 percent. The average CEO salary is a staggering 335 times the average worker salary. Such disparities exist between communities too.

State of Inequality

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John Rumpel, who runs Encore Motors of Melbourne, a Florida-based company that owns the aircraft, said in a telephone interview Monday that his daughter, Adina Azarian, his 2-year old granddaughter, her nanny and the pilot were on the plane and did not survive.

Mom, toddler killed in plane crash spent time in NC mountains beforehand

Plane_Crash_Jet_Scramble_68494

Gregg Gidding hired a tax preparation company to file his 2018 taxes. Years later, he received a letter from the North Carolina Department of Revenue explaining an error in the filing. Because of the mistake, Gidding owed thousands of dollars in back taxes.