The New York Times on Monday defended the reporting in its hit podcast Caliphate, after Canadian officials arrested one of the series’ key subjects for falsely posing as a member of ISIS.
On Friday, law-enforcement officials announced charges against Shehroze Chaudhry, saying he concocted a terrorist hoax, for years posed as a former police officer in the Islamic State. Chaudhry, better known as Abu Huzayfah, came to national prominence in the U.S. after his story was featured in Caliphate, which traced his possible involvement with the group.
In a statement, a New York Times spokesperson said that the uncertainty about Huzayfah’s identity was “central to every episode of Caliphate that featured him,” and that the journalists involved repeatedly reported on lies he made about his identity and role in ISIS. “The concerns being raised now are concerns that our team examined in the podcast,” the spokesperson added. “We believe the series was responsible journalism that helped listeners understand the power and pull of extremism.”
