A crucial look at the disappearance of Austin Tice: best podcasts of the week
This week's podcast picks are led by a series examining the unsolved disappearance of Austin Tice, the US marine turned journalist who vanished in Syria 14 years ago. Presenters Josh Baker and Sara Obeidat have uncovered new evidence that has already generated headlines, offering a sensitive and suspenseful look at a case that remains open even after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The selection also spans drama, literary adaptation, history and comedy, reflecting the range on offer to listeners this week.
Other recommendations include a queer indie drama set at a drive-thru takeaway, starring Briggon Snow and Daniel J Kim; a new unabridged narration of Jane Austen's Emma read by Julie Andrews with original music; an iHeart investigation by film-maker Michael Epstein into the 2005 Haditha massacre, in which 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians were killed by US marines; and a comedy podcast in which guests plan their zombie apocalypse survival strategy from a bunker, beginning with comedian Emmanuel Sonubi.
– New series probes unsolved 2012 disappearance of journalist Austin Tice in Syria – Julie Andrews narrates a fresh unabridged version of Austen's Emma – Documentary revisits the 2005 Haditha massacre of Iraqi civilians by US marines
Explained simply
Austin Tice is a former US marine who became a freelance journalist and disappeared in Syria in August 2012 while covering the civil war there, shortly after he was detained at a checkpoint near Damascus. He has not been definitively confirmed dead or found alive since, making his case one of the longest-running unresolved disappearances of an American journalist abroad. His family and press freedom groups have campaigned for years for answers about his fate.
The case gained fresh significance after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria, which raised hopes that new information, witnesses or records might finally emerge from a regime that had long denied knowledge of Tice's whereabouts. Journalists Josh Baker and Sara Obeidat have made a podcast series investigating the case, reportedly uncovering new evidence.
This story is part of a wider weekly round-up of podcast recommendations, which also touches on other separate productions covering drama, literature, history and comedy.
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