Corruption revealed. Fraud exposed. Abuse of power uncovered.

AIR: America’s Investigative Reports, a new series from Thirteen/WNET New York, in association with the Center for Investigative Reporting, premieres September 1st at 9:00 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings).

A healthy democracy requires an informed public. Yet just outside the din of daily media, the plethora of “news” shows on TV and the mega-mall information overload of the Internet, there are things going on behind closed doors every day that adversely affect the interests of the American people. Whether government corruption, corporate malfeasance, or any other abuse of power by institutions or individuals entrusted with the public good, these acts all share one thing in common: the people committing them want to keep you in the dark.

That’s where investigative journalism comes in. Each of AIR’s weekly, documentary-style half-hour episodes will chronicle powerful, groundbreaking recent journalistic investigations, featuring the committed reporters and editors who have produced them. These are the stories that have shaken communities, held the powerful accountable and tried to make a difference in the functioning of America’s democracy.

Tune in and sign-up for CIR’s Story Alerts to receive weekly alerts for each new episode.