I'm Not A Monster

Last updated
I'm Not A Monster
Presentation
Hosted by Josh Baker
GenreDocumentary
Written byJosh Baker
Joe Kent
LanguageEnglish
Length20-45 minutes
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Production
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes23
Publication
Original release23 November 2020 –
22 March 2023
Provider BBC Sounds

I'm Not A Monster is a BBC Sounds documentary podcast produced by BBC Panorama and PBS Frontline. [1] The first series, released between November 2020 and January 2022, followed the story of Sam Sally, an American woman who lived under the Islamic State with her husband and children. The second series, I'm Not A Monster: The Shamima Begum Story, was released in 2023 and followed Shamima Begum, a U.K.-born woman who joined the Islamic State at age 15. [2]

Contents

The podcast is hosted by British journalist Josh Baker, who is also a producer, and written by Baker and Joe Kent. [3]

Development

Producer Josh Baker became interested in the story of Samantha Sally in 2016, after seeing a video of her son being forced to build a suicide bomb. This sparked a four-year-long investigation into the whereabouts of the family and, once they were out of Islamic State control, how and why Sally and her children had ended up with the Islamic State to begin with. Season one of the podcast follows Baker's investigation. [4]

The podcast was announced in November 2020, and marked the first collaborative project between BBC Panorama and PBS Frontline . [5]

In 2023, the podcast was greenlit for a second season focusing on Shamima Begum. [6]

Reception

Both series one [7] [8] and two of the podcast have been well received. [9] [10] The second series saw particular praise from British media, who applauded the podcast's telling and analysis of the story of Shamima Begum, which had already been covered extensively in Britain. [11] [12] [13] The Telegraph noted, "the podcast turns out to be ingenious, and Baker’s approach is incredibly revealing". [13] The podcast was BBC Sounds' eighth most popular podcast in 2023. [14]

Awards

YearAwardCategoryResultRef
2021 Awards for Excellence in Audio Best Documentary PodcastWon [15]
Best ReportingNominated
Best True CrimeNominated
Online Journalism Awards Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling, Limited Seriesfinalist [4]
Webby Awards Documentary PodcastsWon [16]
2023 British Podcast Awards Best Documentary PodcastSilver Award [17]
Best News & Current Affairs PodcastSilver Award
Best True Crime PodcastSilver Award
2024New York Festivals Radio AwardsInvestigative Journalism PodcastGold Award [18]

References

  1. ↑ "I'm Not A Monster". FRONTLINE. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  2. ↑ Sturges, Fiona (2023-01-16). "Shamima Begum tells her story in new podcast I'm Not a Monster". Financial Times. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  3. ↑ Sturges, Fiona (2020-11-29). "I'm Not A Monster podcast follows a woman's journey from Indiana to Isis". Financial Times. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  4. 1 2 "I'm Not A Monster". Online Journalism Awards. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  5. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas; Kanter, Jake (2020-11-13). "BBC's Panorama & PBS's Frontline Team For Podcast 'I'm Not A Monster' About U.S. Family Who Lived Under ISIS". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  6. ↑ Goldbart, Max (2022-07-08). "BBC Greenlights Landmark Shamima Begum Doc & Podcast Series From 'I'm Not A Monster' Creative Team". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  7. ↑ Marriott, James (2020-11-26). "I'm Not a Monster podcast review — a bomb-dodging, bone-chilling drama". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  8. ↑ "I Am not a Monster A family's journey to the heart of isis". Irish Independent. 2021-05-15. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  9. ↑ "The best podcasts of 2023". theweek. 2023-01-19. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  10. ↑ "I'm Not a Monster podcast review: Moving series unpacks the story of the schoolgirl who joined Isis". Irish Independent. 2023-03-11. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  11. ↑ Marriott, James (2023-01-13). "I'm Not a Monster review — the transfixing story of Shamima Begum". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  12. ↑ Duggins, Alexi; Davies, Hannah J.; Richardson, Hollie (2023-06-09). "The best podcasts of 2023 so far". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  13. 1 2 Runcie, Charlotte (2023-01-18). "Sorting fact from fiction in the Shamima Begum story". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  14. ↑ BBC (2023-12-28). "BBC Sounds reveals their top 10 most popular podcasts of 2023 with podcast listening up 34% on the platform". podnews.net. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  15. ↑ Nordyke, Kimberly (2021-05-17). "Podcast Academy Honors 'Dying for Sex,' 'Wind of Change,' Marc Maron at Inaugural Ambie Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  16. ↑ "I'm Not A Monster". Webby Awards. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  17. ↑ "All winners of the British Podcast Awards 20203 are revealed". PodcastingToday. 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  18. ↑ "Winners Gallery". New York Festivals Radio.
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