Chapter One: The Reporter

The podcast explores the work of Rukmini Callimachi, a New York Times reporter covering ISIS, focusing on her methods and the dangers she faces. Callimachi describes her approach to understanding ISIS by collecting documents from recently liberated ISIS-occupied buildings, comparing it to searching for someone's diary to understand their life. She also discusses the challenges of interviewing ISIS members, who often downplay their involvement in violence. The podcast further delves into the threats Callimachi has received from ISIS, including online insults and explicit threats of violence, and recounts a personal experience where fear and paranoia took hold after a late-night incident at her home. The episode culminates with the beginning of Callimachi's investigation into a Canadian ISIS member known as Abu Huzaifa.