The NY Times has returned the Peabody award given to the newspaper’s ‘Caliphate’ podcast in 2018, after the show fell from grace upon the discovery that one of its top sources –an alleged IS executioner– was making his stories up.
The GF Peabody Awards announced in a statement on Friday that the Times would be returning the prize after concluding that “that crucial portions” of the IS-themed show –co-hosted by Rukmini Callimachi and Andy Mills– “did not meet its standards for accuracy.”
Peabody Awards Executive Director Jeffrey P. Jones declared that, “As the standard for quality media, the integrity of the Peabody Award is paramount,” before thanking the Times for its decision to give the prize back.
“We will receive the return of the award, recognizing the mutual respect both organizations have for each other’s longstanding record of journalistic integrity,” he added.
The New York Times also officially retracted the show on Friday, months after the dodgy source, 25-year-old Canadian Shehroze Chaudhry, was arrested and charged for allegedly lying about his supposed acts of barbarism on behalf of the Islamic State (IS, formerly iSIS/ISIL).
Caliphate co-host Callimachi –who has been taken off the IS beat and reassigned– apologized on Twitter for misleading listeners, calling the experience “gutting.”
I am fiercely proud of the stories I have broken on the ISIS beat. But as journalists, we demand transparency from our sources, so we should expect it from ourselves. Please see my full statement below regarding our Caliphate podcast: pic.twitter.com/FBUFsrnbsa
Some social media users were shocked over the return of the Peabody award, while others called it the “only logical decision.”
Holy shit. https://t.co/EOlABdNiSc
Oh wow. https://t.co/bDJPXF5ntM
The only logical decision. https://t.co/EpGijCl5Bs
Journalist Kristofor Lawson claimed that the decision shows that the Times “holds itself to a higher standard than many journalistic institutions,” and has a level of transparency that demonstrates “why people trust the Times.”
The @nytimes holds itself to a higher standard than many journalistic institutions. The level of transparency and accountability is exactly why people trust the Times. https://t.co/0YGPLPYaYi
Matt Nippert, another journalist, argued however that, “You’ve got to raise these questions before you publish – not a year, six episodes and a Peabody Award later.”
You’ve got to raise these questions _before_ you publish – not a year, six episodes and a Peabody Award later. https://t.co/xm6IFiHi6E
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