In the aftermath of the 2004 US election in which George W Bush was re-elected for a further term, he penned a damning indictment of Bush and the US electorate, God Help America. Solange serves as a fashion stylist in America. The pair confirmed that they did interview one of the teachers involved, Razwan Faraz, who has publicly apologised for his comments and outlined his journey to educate himself. In 2004 he won Sports Columnist of the Year and in 2013 he was awarded the Cudlipp Award for Journalistic Excellence after two decades campaigning for justice for the Hillsborough families. This is FRESH AIR. The case was settled in May 2020 and subsequently dismissed. He asked the question "is S-Town a freak show for the NPR crowd?" Thats Birmingham, UK, by the way. In return, the New York Times sends me a statement saying the complaints were reviewed by the papers standards department, which found they lacked merit, bar one correction that runs on their site and has resulted in a re-record of that section of the podcast. We'll talk with her biographer, Tomiko Brown-Nagin, author of "Civil Rights Queen." In 2011, he released a book investigating corruption in football, An Epic Swindle,[3] which made The Sunday Times best-seller list. He is married to his gorgeous and loving wife Solange Franklin. What ensues is a thrilling audio documentary, definitely Serial Production's very best since "S-Town," which Reed also hosted. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. For Reed, this is familiar territory. February 24, 2021 A protagonist by the name of John B. McLemore contacts journalist Brian Reed via email, speaking on how he despises his town of Woodstock, Alabama. As a result of the report, teachers and governors were sacked and previously outstanding schools were taken into special measures. Plus, how a US medium conned his audiences, and delicious daftery from Nigel Planer, The Trojan Horse Affair | Serial Productions/New York Times. In the week after our interview, the podcast is the subject of numerous articles, some accusing Syed of one-sidedness and even of demonstrating the very bias against which he is fighting. Brian Reed, its host and co-creator, originally set out to find a new story forThis American Life, I don't have much to say here. In the end, the podcast takes listeners behind the scenes of the investigative process and explores the journalists different approaches to reporting as they follow the mystery of the letter. The Trojan Horse Affair is now being adapted into a TV series starring Riz Ahmed. When Mr. Syed first approached Mr. Reed, he envisioned a straightforward investigation into the letter. That changed in the fall of 2017 at an event held in Birmingham, England, his hometown. [13], S-Town incorporates various specially composed pieces of music throughout the episodes from composers Daniel Hart, Helado Negro, Trey Pollard, and Matt McGinley, including an S-Town theme produced by Hart. Brian Reed, a producer of the audio program This American Life, was on tour discussing his latest podcast, S-Town. Mr. Syed, a former doctor about to start journalism school, stuck around after the show for advice on a potential reporting project. The interaction leads to Syed losing his cool, effectively ending the interview and causing Reed to be frustrated. The Trojan Horse Affair: how Serial podcast got it so wrong S-Town presenter Brian Reed gets to grips with Birmingham. Claim your profile Get in touch with Brian. This letter launched four government investigations, changed our national policy and ended careers. He is a man of average stature. And given how neatly this podcast plugs into contemporary political anxieties here in the United States, particularly with the uproar on critical race theory, where this investigation goes ultimately leaves me with an unsettling feeling. S-Town was an embarrassment of riches in terms of people talking, says Reed. It's co-hosted by Brian Reed, a veteran producer of This American Life and host of the podcast "S-Town," and Hamza Syed, a doctor-turned-reporter from Birmingham, England. Synopsis It was the first time I had ever been in an electric car, and Brian Reed was at the steering wheel with this big smile on his face as we went from 0 to 60 in about 3 seconds. From journalist Vicky Baker, who made Fake Heiress, about Anna Delvey, this new series is funny, both ha ha and peculiar. He wanted to know whether the heads and governors were radicalising the pupils by introducing extreme Islamic ideas. Erin Reed (journalist) - Wikipedia It was quickly found to be a forgery, its author was never known, but it was the catalyst for a series of government inquiries that led to five schools being put into special measures and teachers being banned from the classroom. While rumours fly about their true intention for the podcast, they are resolute. This medium was a way for us to tell those stories.. Being in contempt of court can lead to a jail sentence. Brian Reed's Profile | Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Journalist | Muck Rack Brian Reed As seen in: Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Is this you? He works as the host and co-creator of the S-Town podcast, which is a production of Serial and the public radio show This American Life. This is written in the present tense but Reed says that the headteacher had left the school 15 years earlier. Mr. Reed was interested in that story, but also wanted the podcast to document the complex reporting process that the two journalists were about to embark on. Perhaps this isnt a surprise. The tape started rolling when they met for the second time at Birmingham Airport to start their reporting. The headteacher misrepresented herself on her CV and thats why she was sacked. And then he goes: But the rest of the letter is true, I think. Reed laughs, incredulously. All rights reserved. [1], In 2007, a column in the Daily Mirror by Reade which likened Lord Green and his organisation MigrationWatch UK to the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazi Party led to Green successfully suing for costs and damages.[2]. Reviewed: Brian Reed on creating S-Town - Birmingham Live His main source of income is working as a host and senior producer at This American Life. Someone should just go and ask some questions, says Syed. When journalist Brian Reed responded to an unsolicited email from a charismatic eccentric living in deepest Alabama, it was the start of a journey that led to awards, acclaim and speaking tours. The suit, which was filed without the knowledge of McLemore's family, alleged that by selling advertisements with the podcast they violated McLemore's personality rights. Reed has also received the Dart Award for Reporting on Trauma, two Overseas Press Club Awards, multiple Webby Awards, and an Education Writers Association Award, among others. If I was a healthcare reporter, my medical background would be seen as an advantage, says Syed. Brian Reed is the host and co-creator of the groundbreaking podcast S-Town, and co-host and co-creator of the new hit podcast from Serial Productions and the New York Times, The Trojan Horse Affair. Its also frustrating. Our interviews and reviews are produced and edited by Amy Salit, Phyllis Myers, Sam Briger, Lauren Krenzel, Heidi Saman, Therese Madden, Ann Marie Baldonado, Thea Chaloner, Seth Kelley and Kayla Lattimore. Is this you? With no heroes in the podcast, the listener becomes invested instead in Syed and Reeds burgeoning closeness. From the makers of S-Town, a deep dive into a Birmingham anti-radicalisation programme. He recorded conversations with McLemore and other people in Woodstock, which are played on the podcast. Ms. Laks and her team at Serial began shaping the podcasts episodes at the end of 2019. Accuracy and availability may vary. [1] Reed generally refers to the podcast by the non-euphemized name in the episodes themselves. Hamza Syed and Brian Reed will host 'The Trojan . Brian Reed-Baiotto - Muck Rack Brian received a 2017 Peabody Award for his story on his investigation of an alleged murder in his small Alabama town. Brian has also investigated multiple sketchy FBI operations, as well as produced stories about strange coincidences. QUAH: We hear the tension between the two perspectives flare up later on in the series, like during an interview of a person who dismisses the negative effects of the Trojan horse letter on the country's Muslim community. All episodes were released simultaneously on March 28, 2017. What can you say, really? Thanks to MailChimp, Casper, and SqShow More, Brian Reed and Hamza Syed are co-hosts of the new podcastThe Trojan Horse Affair. More seriously, The Times reports that the podcast may be in contempt of court, and the British government had to issue a legal warning to the publishers for naming a whistleblower who was granted immunity in a tribunal case related to the scandal. That was the email subject line that first caught journalist Brian Reed's attention. When I follow up with Reed and Syed on the phone about such controversies, they sound different: tired and annoyed. The last time most of us heard a podcast series from reporter Brian Reed, he was working his diffident, determined way around the life of Alabama horologist John B McLemore for the fantastic, award-winning S-Town. In a lawsuit filed this month against the podcast's creators, lawyers for John B. McLemore's estate allege that his personal information was exploited for profit. [32] Since then, the podcast remained popular and had been downloaded 77 million times by the anniversary of its release. It's complicated", "The Gorgeous New True Crime Podcast S-Town Is Like Serial but Satisfying", "S-Town is a stunning podcast. I dont even know if anyone besides Brian, Hamza and I realized how much was being recorded until we got into the edit, Ms. Laks said. But doesnt the city of Birmingham want to move on? 'People have not moved on. Far from it': the controversial podcast This byline is mine, but I want my name removed. Honestly, Im dispirited, says Reed. In Birmingham, a city with a sizeable immigrant Muslim population, the Trojan horse affair ruined careers and thrust vulnerable communities deeper into the void. Manned recycling site plan is too complicated, reader says: Brian Reed - How to construct a compelling story, No One Has Seen Them Made or Heard Them Made, For Your Reconsideration - This American Life, Marvel Comics Solicitations for March 2018', How S-Town, From the People Who Brought You Serial, Is Changing Podcasts All Over Again, A Multispecialty Collaboration to Reduce Unnecessary Imaging for Knee Osteoarthritis. In 2018 The Press Awards named Reade Feature Writer of The Year. Fresh Air with Terry Gross:'The Trojan Horse Affair' is Serial's best podcast since 'S-Town' (2022), Novara Media: LONGFORM: #475: Brian Reed and Hamza Syed (2022), Vulture:The Trojan Horse Affairvs. the British Press (2022), GeekWire:S-Town creator: Podcasting is so new, the rules are still being written (2017), It's a Long Story:#21 Brian Reed (2017) [audio], Longform Podcast: Brian Reed (2017) [audio], Atlantic:S-TownIs a Well-Crafted Monument to Empathy (2017), WNYC Here's the Thing:Brian Reed Thought "S-Town" Could Only Ever Be a Cult Show (2017) [audio], New York Times:S-Town Attains Podcasting Blockbuster Status (2017), Guardian:Brian Reed, maker of S-Town: Peoples minds go to paranoid places very easily (2017), Time:S-TownHost Brian Reed on True Crime Podcasts and That Major Twist (2017), Salon:Brian Reed went to S-Town; all he brought back was this profound and unforgettable story (2017), New Yorker: "S-Town" Investigates the Human Mystery (2017), Vulture:S-TownTranscends the True Crime ofSerial (2017). Though it seemed to be well informed, many people now assume that the letter was bogus. Roberta Shorrock directs the show. Such camps are regarded as religious! At one point, he writes a letter to a potential interviewee saying he has never believed the received narrative around the case or many of the people involved in the investigations around it. Brian Reed - The Minnesota Republic Wasnt that the thing about the Islamist plot in schools? He was partly right. Brian is 5 ft 7 in tall (Approx 1.7 m). Brian Reed - Host & Co-Creator - S-Town Podcast | LinkedIn [17] In an April 2017 interview, Tyler Goodson said that he sometimes regrets "ever speaking into that microphone because [he] was probably upset, or wasn't thinking clearly" since he faced trial for the criminal actions that were described in the podcast. Journal of the American College of Radiology, FTC's Motor Vehicle Dealers Trade Regulation Rule is unnecessary, unfair. Explore Further - The New York Times Company Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Brian Reed, a senior producer at This American Life, is the host of S-Town. As Rebecca Mead wrote in The New Yorker, Among the half-million products released in podcastings brief history, it is S-Townthat seems most likely to endure as a work of art.. and described the series as "seven chapters of provocative red herrings that almost but never quite add up to a place, a people, or a man". There was no guarantee that it would work out, but I thought the question would lead us into an interesting world, Mr. Reed said. In late 2012, Reed, a producer at This American Life, received an email from John B. McLemore, of Woodstock, Alabama, telling him someone had . These are the starting points for the latest podcast from Serial Productions called "The Trojan Horse Affair," which follows an investigation that wouldn't feel out of place in a John le Carre novel. For most people, the story ended there. However, a spokesperson for The New York Times told Insider that "the podcast did not reveal the identities of anonymous whistleblowers.". McLemore killed himself by drinking potassium cyanide on June 22, 2015,[5] while the podcast was still in production. Trojan Horse Affair review: New Serial podcast re-creates the appeal of Reed and Syed represent different perspectives on the matter. This page was last edited on 18 May 2023, at 17:08. What has become the parody of Carol was once what she was. The seminal series S-Town won widespread critical praise and shattered audience records with more than 100 million downloads. He also reported on climate change in the island nation of Kiribati as NPRs first Above the Fray Fellow. The podcast was downloaded a record-breaking 10 million times in four days, and had been downloaded over 40 million times, Brian Reed is the Chief Mobility Officer at NowSecure. Brian Reed-Baiotto's Profile | Orange County Register, Pasadena Now Journalist | Muck Rack Brian Reed-Baiotto As seen in: Orange County Register, Pasadena Now Is this you? This article was amended on 4 March 2022 to correct an error in a quote from Hamza Syed that was introduced in editing, and to clarify that an audit report referred to in the text suggested that council officials not government officials knew the Trojan Horse letter was fake. Brian Reed on Reverse Engineering Software with SBOM [31] You call it opening old wounds, I call it investigative journalism. a British journalist working on his very . Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. An ex-doctor turned investigative reporter, in 2018 he approached Reed with an idea. While clearly shocked about John's death, Brian admits that John had discussed committing suicide before, usually in relation to his obsession with, "If anybody could find it, it would be me. Like, what the hell is this? She previously worked at National Geographic Studios. But before I even got to that question, hed already jumped in and said its a really good story and he might want to look into this with me, he says. The duo first met on July 4, 2008, in Washington DC, after they were introduced by a mutual friend. Syed was a journalism student when he and Reed started reporting The Trojan Horse Affair, and their dynamic and friendship has prompted critics to praise the series as a buddy comedy of investigative journalism. Three years of reporting and several unforeseen twists later, Reed's " S-Town " seven-part podcast series premiered this spring with a record-shattering 40+ million downloads. [1] All seven chapters were released on March 28, 2017. Help, I Have a Huge Crush on the S-Town Podcast Guy, Brian Reed As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work. This year, Reed teamed up with new journalist Hamza Syed to co-host the eight-part podcast The Trojan Horse Affair, an investigation into who authored a mysterious letter that wreaked havoc in Britian in 2014. Liked 'Serial'? Here's Why the True-Crime Podcast 'S-Town' Is Better After agreeing to pursue the topic, the journalists decided on an unconventional technique they would record the entire investigation. In addition, he has an eight-part podcast The Trojan Horse Affair as of 2022. It was just one of the many memorable experiences that I've had while spending time with Brian over the years. [33], S-Town podcast received the Peabody Award for 2017 in the category Radio/Podcast. The podcast starts with the student journalist Syed meeting by chance the veteran Reed and telling him about the Trojan Horse letter. Rather, it feels like a working through of the tensions between different journalistic norms. Copyright 2022 NPR. Was it bad? This is more like traditional investigative journalism, where people dont want to talk and where were relying on documents to tell the story. One document in particular an audit report that suggests council officials knew the letter was fake took well over a year to track down, despite numerous freedom of information requests. It's co-hosted by Brian Reed, a veteran producer of This American Life and host of the podcast "S-Town," and Hamza Syed, a doctor-turned-reporter from Birmingham, England. It excels in bringing you inside the investigation. People were still extremely worried about what happened in 2014, and about what continued to be happening to the schools since. The Trojan Horse Affair, an NYT podcast investigating the scandal, has caused controversy. I hope you can join us. The truth that they find is messy, unexpected and inconvenient to the story other people want to believe. LIVE: Tornado death toll rises in Texas as epic flooding strikes Almost had a love affair with John, but it was never consummated. There, I said it. Hundreds of thousands were without power on Friday across the south-central U.S. following another day of damaging storms on Thursday. John explains his discontent with the indifference of the people in S-town. And leading the investigation is an unlikely duo - Brian Reed, a veteran producer at "This American Life," and Hamza Syed, a former doctor turned journalism student. This week, Humanists UK released a lengthy statement arguing that Syed and Reed had misrepresented the views of Richy Thompson, its director of public affairs and policy, editing the content to make him sound bad and exploiting his unpreparedness. When, in our second interview, I return to the subject of omitting testimony, in particular around Tahir Alam, I can hear their frustration. It is not the only reporting to question the mainstream narrative about the scandal (including in this newspaper), but it feels a necessary counterpoint to the ocean of sensationalist headlines that cemented the affair in the public consciousness as the Islamist plot in schools. Though the podcast was promoted under the name S-Town, Reed reveals in the first episode that this is a euphemism for "Shit-Town", McLemore's derogatory term for Woodstock. Further, he has created stories including The Secret Recordings of Carmen Segarra, Cops See It Differently, and also Abdi and the Golden Ticket. Its a story about the remarkableness of what could be called an unremarkable life. Brian Reade is a journalist and author who writes a weekly opinion column for the Daily Mirror. We all got into a room and spent days writing out all possible beats of the episodes on a whiteboard, Ms. Laks said. After more than a year of correspondence, investigative journalist Brian Reed visits John B. McLemore's small hometown Woodstock, Alabama after John's request that he investigate the murder and cover up of a young man named Dylan Nichols. Before joining This American Life as an intern in 2010, Reed reported and produced for NPR as one of their Kroc Fellows. (The two also produced this series with. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. But turning the information into a piece of audio storytelling presented its own challenges. He is also the senior producer of This American Life. In our reporting, we acknowledge his views very clearly. Why would you do a story if you didn't care what impact it would have? [34] The show won the Directors' Choice award at the 2017 Third Coast International Audio Festival.[35]. I remember hearing how the (mostly white) teachers worried about the implications of this would it alienate pupils and make them feel attacked, as though their Britishness was invalid? The recorder turned on as soon as someone opened the door, and went off when they were sleeping, said Rebecca Laks, a producer of the series. Were reporters, Reed says, exasperated. Ms. Laks, who has a background in documentary film editing, began combing through the audio backlog in early 2018. But. The problem with Fake Psychic is that its quite interesting but not madly. BRIAN REED: I don't think about that when I'm doing a story. And long may there be more of that, my friend.. And I feel like it can have all sorts of byproducts, like changing people's minds. Did Syed pick a US reporter because he wanted a fresh pair of eyes? What can you say, really? I was sad we couldnt use that.. 'S-Town' Host Brian Reed Talks Ethics in Journalism American investigative journalism podcast, "The Creators of 'Serial' Are Back With 'S-Town,' a Binge-Ready New Podcast", "New podcast from Serial makers, S-Town, breaks download records", "Woodstock man at the center of "S-Town" podcast", "How The Serial Team's New Podcast S-Town Evolved From True Crime Into Human Tragedy", "John B. McLemore Obituary Bessemer, Al", "Tyler Goodson of S-Town: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know", "Residents of So-called 'Shit Town' Are Conflicted Over S-Town", "John McLemore Obituary Bessemer, Alabama", "Tyler Goodson of 'S-Town' Accused of Killing Brother's Dog", "S-Town's Tyler Goodson pleads guilty to charges tied to events in podcast", "Is 'S-Town' art or exploitation? In 2021 Reade wrote a third book Diamonds In The Mud about working-class heroes, with all the proceeds going to The Casa social justice hub in Liverpool. It's time give a toast to the toas, S-Town'srich and thoughtful story telling captured the attention of audiences from around the world. There's a New Serial Productions Podcast Coming Next Week - Vulture Alam was a school governor who was banned from working in education after the scandal. Im a secular guy. Reed says that if S-Town had a genre, it was southern gothic, while The Trojan Horse Affair would be detective. Step one: get on to the governors board that sort of thing. He returned to headlines recently, supporting Birmingham parents protests in favour of banning LGBTQ+ lessons in school. Anybody. Syed is from there. Brian Reed's Profile | Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology His plan was just to do the story for his graduate project; he was asking Reed for tips on whom to speak to first. The trigger for the whole hoo-ha was an anonymous letter, sent to Birmingham council, which detailed the supposed methods that the supposed radicalisers were using for Operation Trojan Horse. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Far from it! We were acting professionally and ethically. 2009-2023 SBA The Steven Barclay Agency, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Brians estimated net worth is $986,750. The podcast was downloaded a record-breaking 10 million times in four days[2] and had been downloaded over 40 million times by May 2017. It's about a letter that surfaced in my city and had huge consequences for Britain. Brian Reed, a senior producer at This American Life, is the host of S-Town. Serial Productions recently released its latest investigative podcast series, "The Trojan Horse Affair." Da Costa has several words of wisdom, including on the side of truth is time. Reed posts on Twitter and Substack as Erin in the Morning. He was born in the United States. Well yes, sort of. He's the one who brings the story to Reed, along with a belief in the remedial properties of the truth. . After I mention a legal notice sent around by the Department for Education (DfE) in advance of the release of the podcast a reminder that anonymity orders had been granted to some witnesses involved in the affair Reed pulls out his phone and begins recording me, ready to document any evidence of manoeuvring by the government that I may reveal. It is clever storytelling : dense, in terms of the sheer volume of information, and gripping, with Netflix-like cliffhangers. S-Town is a podcast hosted by Brian Reed from Serial Productions, a New York Times company. We are privy to the duo as they collaborate, compromise, argue and riff. But as a Muslim, to report on a situation involving Muslims, somehow I am disqualified? The podcast was downloaded a record-breaking 10 million times in four days [2] and had been downloaded over 40 million times by May 2017. Its a story about the remarkableness of what could be called an unremarkable life. Of course, even six hours of podcast cannot cover every part of the story; the Trojan Horse scandal involved 21 schools, and there were many allegations that werent in the letter but that did appear in the press at the time. The New York Times and Serial Productions today announced "The Trojan Horse Affair," a new limited podcast series hosted by Brian Reed, known for his hit series "S-Town," and Hamza Syed, a doctor-turned-reporter.Together they investigate a mystery at the heart of a scandal that rocked Britain. Brian is around 37 years old, although details regarding his date and year of birth remain unknown. And we were not treating people with kid gloves.. He works as the host and co-creator of the S-Town podcast, which is a production of Serial and the public radio show This American Life. Syed and the US journalist Brian Reed quickly land on a suspect and a surprising motive and suggest the letter that sparked such uproar and policy shifts may have not just been a hoax, but have had its roots in an internal dispute at one school. (It turned out to be the four-year-olds mispronunciation of cucumber.). It also has a habit of suppressing its own past misdemeanours, as all those communities know.