A new nine-part podcast series from BBC and NPR delves into the disappearance of journalist Austin Tice in Syria.
The series, Where is Austin Tice?, is presented by Josh Baker, known for his previous investigative podcasts I’m Not a Monster and The Shamima Begum Story, he leads the investigation alongside journalist Sara Obeidat.
Unlike Baker’s earlier work, this series focuses on unraveling a real-life missing person case, following new evidence and testimonies as they emerge.
Austin Tice disappeared in Syria over a decade ago, and accounts of his fate vary widely.
Some suggest he remains alive in captivity, while others believe he was smuggled out or died years ago.
His mother, Debra Tice, continues to campaign for his return, insisting he is still alive.
The investigation goes from Washington, D.C., to Damascus, involving interviews with spies, alleged war criminals, and individuals who may hold crucial information about Austin’s fate.
Josh and Sara’s work uncovers secret material and testimony that has already attracted global attention, and the series promises further revelations.
Listeners follow the investigation in real time, as new evidence is uncovered and the search narrows in on those who may know the truth.
The series also places Austin’s disappearance within the broader context of Syria’s history, highlighting the experiences of tens of thousands of families searching for missing relatives under the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Josh says: “It was seeing Debra give a deeply heartfelt press conference that first drew me to Austin’s story. I hoped that the skills of our team might help her family find some of the answers they had been denied for so long.”
Daniel Clarke, BBC Radio 4 Factual Commissioning Editor, describes the series as combining “a deeply human story of a mother looking for her son with a remarkable investigation into the Syrian security state, leading to genuinely shocking – and important – discoveries.”
Katie Simon, Senior Supervising Editor at NPR’s Embedded, adds: “The Austin Tice story gives us the chance to step into a once-hidden Syrian prison system and begin to piece together a play-by-play of Austin’s timeline from the moment he goes missing.”
The podcast is written, showrun and presented by Josh Baker, with Sara Obeidat as co-investigator and producer. It’s made for BBC Sounds and Radio 4, on RSS in the I’m Not A Monster Presents feed and NPR’s Embedded, with the first episode launching on 8 September.
