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A new nine-part podcast series from BBC and NPR delves into the disappearance of journalist Austin Tice in Syria. <\/p>\n
The series, Where is Austin Tice?, is presented by Josh Baker, known for his previous investigative podcasts I\u2019m Not a Monster and The Shamima Begum Story, he leads the investigation alongside journalist Sara Obeidat.<\/p>\n
Unlike Baker\u2019s earlier work, this series focuses on unraveling a real-life missing person case, following new evidence and testimonies as they emerge.<\/p>\n
Austin Tice disappeared in Syria over a decade ago, and accounts of his fate vary widely.<\/p>\n
Some suggest he remains alive in captivity, while others believe he was smuggled out or died years ago.<\/p>\n
His mother, Debra Tice, continues to campaign for his return, insisting he is still alive.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s fate.<\/p>\n
Josh and Sara\u2019s work uncovers secret material and testimony that has already attracted global attention, and the series promises further revelations.<\/p>\n
Listeners follow the investigation in real time, as new evidence is uncovered and the search narrows in on those who may know the truth.<\/p>\n
The series also places Austin\u2019s disappearance within the broader context of Syria\u2019s history, highlighting the experiences of tens of thousands of families searching for missing relatives under the regime of Bashar al-Assad.<\/p>\n
Josh says: \u201cIt was seeing Debra give a deeply heartfelt press conference that first drew me to Austin\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel Clarke, BBC Radio 4 Factual Commissioning Editor, describes the series as combining \u201ca deeply human story of a mother looking for her son with a remarkable investigation into the Syrian security state, leading to genuinely shocking \u2013 and important \u2013 discoveries.\u201d<\/p>\n
Katie Simon, Senior Supervising Editor at NPR\u2019s Embedded, adds: \u201cThe 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\u2019s timeline from the moment he goes missing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The podcast is written, showrun and presented by Josh Baker, with Sara Obeidat as co-investigator and producer. It\u2019s made for BBC Sounds and Radio 4, on RSS in the I\u2019m Not A Monster Presents feed and NPR\u2019s Embedded, with the first episode launching on 8 September.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n