WCMU Public Media (Mt. Pleasant) and Interlochen Public Radio (Interlochen) have announced the launch of a joint reporting project on the history of the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac.

Compiled by reporters from both WCMU and IPR, this community resource project takes the form of a timeline that highlights 31 key events in the pipeline’s story in the Straits, ranging from the signing of the 1836 Treaty of Washington to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ pending 2026 decision on the final permit to construct a tunnel to relocate the pipeline below the lakebed.

Proponents view the tunnel as a safer alternative to the existing, exposed pipeline. Vocal critics say it will perpetuate our reliance on fossil fuels and that Line 5’s very operation poses a grave risk to the health of the Great Lakes.

There are a lot of moving parts to the story and a lot of throughlines to understand, which is why WCMU and IPR teamed up to spell it out a little. They are calling this project "Line 5 In Context." The timeline is available on both IPR’s and WCMU’s websites.

“We realized we had two options: Duplicate each other's work or share and do more, together. I'm glad we chose the latter," said Ed Ronco, IPR’s News Director. "The Line 5 debate has been going on for years and so many of us have not lived here that long. We hope this new tool can help people see the fuller picture of what's happened regarding Line 5 and get some context from the past about the things they're hearing today."

“This project is the culmination of several months’ worth of hard work and persistence by both newsrooms,” said Rick Brewer, WCMU’s News Director. “I’m not only excited for our readers to use this resource, but for other media across the state to use it as a tool to help inform their own reporting on this decades-old story that will continue to evolve and change over time.”

The origin of this collaboration dates back to a northern Michigan journalism symposium organized by a group of community and journalism leaders in early 2024. News leaders from across the region were invited to gather together in Traverse City to discuss the future of local media and share the results of a journalism ecosystem survey to learn more about the state of the industry Up North. One of the main themes discussed at the symposium was collaboration and how local media can pull together their resources to make sure the region remains informed about the issues of our time. This collaboration was a direct result of the symposium.

“I think it’s terrific,” said Elizabeth Jensen, one of the organizers of the symposium and NPR’s former public editor, when asked about the launch of the project. “News outlets that put the citizens, the readers, the listeners, the viewers first are the ones I think that are going to succeed going forward.”

The timeline will be a living breathing resource and will be updated and maintained by both newsrooms as the story of Line 5 in the Straits evolves.

Both IPR and WCMU are asking readers for their feedback on the timeline and how it could become an even better community resource by emailing news@wcmu.org or ipr@interlochen.org.