Editorsâ Notes
Dec. 18, 2020
CALIPHATE
In 2018, The Times released a 12-part narrative podcast series called âCaliphateâ on the Islamic State terrorist group and its operations. While parts of the series involved a broad examination of the groupâs tactics and influence, multiple episodes were driven primarily by the confessional tale of a Canadian man of Pakistani origin who called himself Abu Huzayfah and claimed to have been a member of the Islamic State who had taken part in killings in Syria.
During the course of reporting for the series, The Times discovered significant falsehoods and other discrepancies in Huzayfahâs story. The Times took a number of steps, including seeking confirmation of details from intelligence officials in the United States, to find independent evidence of Huzayfahâs story. The decision was made to proceed with the project but to include an episode, Chapter 6, devoted to exploring major discrepancies and highlighting the fact-checking process that sought to verify key elements of the narrative.