I was entrenched in this tale, and the way that they covered his story truthfully and with respect. If this is all the truth his family gets, I hope they know that he was portrayed as a complicated but good person.

Wow, what an amazing tale! I remember hearing vaguely about him many years ago, but didn’t know the full story. Basia rocks as the reporter and narrator. She expertly narrates the story. I was surprised that her primary job was a correspondent, not because the story is bad (it’s not) but because she seems like she’s been doing narration her whole life, after a stint at the theater in the round. The only bad thing about this podcast is that it eventually, as all things do, ends, leaving you wishing it would last forever. Seriously, get this in your ears!

I have to tell you staff members at tortoise that I love your podcast. They are so well done with a combination of facts, opinions, and contributions from experts. I love Basha Cummings’s voice. I I feel that you incorporate so many meaningful things. I was just listening to episode five where you said that Joyce sent a message saying “know that we travel with you”. I feel like I am a part of this thing.

I have listened to a lot of investigative podcasts. This one sits differently. This reporting pushes to come as close to the truth as possible. Excellent and raw reporting.

I have a lot of ambivalence with this investigation, which helps make a better podcast. I love Basia, but she's too entrenched with the family to objectively reveal any hidden 'truths'(and wasn't that the point?). I also wonder about the cousin's real motivation to do this podcast. His interview with the letter writer was truly a disaster - but one I blame more on the producers. As he so elegantly articulated, he's not a journalist. Hearing from war reporters about the blurry line between 'fighter and writer' was the most interesting part for me.

Some of this reporting was kind of a mess. I was uncomfortable with how many of the reporter’s conclusions were just her own conjecture without any hard evidence, and I think Chris’s parents might agree - they were very polite talking about how the podcast investigation was agony for them and how it would be awful if they didn’t even discover any new information. Then the reporter has to convince Chris’s parents that telling the story itself was enough, because she had in fact done exactly what they feared - opened up all the wounds and discovered no hard conclusions. She also spent a weird amount of time in the beginning talking about herself, and how she was related to the story - this is not important to the story and it comes across as narcissistic, and I’m not sure when this became so common in journalism.

So good! Loved the deep investigation and your voice is so pleasant to listen to - really enjoyed this one!

Well researched, well done podcast.

Very smart

Great reporting, well edited, engrossing journalism.

Fascinating podcast and excellent investigating reporting. As a former journalist, I really appreciated the insights into journalism and the challenge journalists face with delving deeply into a topic without becoming a part of it.

Generally i am a huge fan of basia cummings’ journalism as well as tortoise’s content, so i had high expectations. This podcast does not disappoint. Thoughtful, sensitive, well produced and thoroughly researched.

Incredibly well written and reported. Pig Iron is one of the most thoughtful podcasts I’ve listened to in a while.

As a friend of the late journalist Chris Allen, this series brings up a lot of emotions for me, including curiosity, excitement and in some cases anger. Pig Iron and the producers behind this podcast are doing Chris a great Justice through the kind of in-depth reporting lost on many modern media outlets and among journalists. So, this is a fresh, gourmet product in a news market of mass produced, snackable content. Chris viewed the world as something to stare directly into and never turn away from it. So, this too helps me to appreciate that view by hearing the stories and learning the revelations discovered by the journalistic minds behind Pig Iron that reveal things I never knew about him and that had been kept under wraps for years. As a TV news producer myself, I understand the imperative of meeting deadlines and turning stories for newscasts at a rapid rate. But as such, very important details can be omitted if not diluted, which does the story an injustice. In Pig Iron, we see the opposite; a fleshed out story that genuinely immersed the listener in the world of Chris Allen and hears from friends, family, and famous veteran war reporters from around the world. You get to appreciate the details that You won’t learn about on TV! Additionally, the production value is excellent. The podcast has an intriguing theme and and a chilling, thought-provoking score that evokes emotions associated with the details as it goes along. The producers put in considerably more time and soul into this story then some correspondents from NPR or the BBC would or even could, so that deserves credit. As I mentioned, it’s not easy for me to learn about some of the things mentioned in this series, but they’re so important to hear, especially for budding journalists and war reporters. Especially at a time when more journalists are under threat of violence and find themselves on the front lines in Ukraine, Pig Iron serves as a crucial reminder of the dangers facing reporters and correspondents every day and the ethical dilemmas they face on the battlefield. Please start the first episode, I have confidence you’ll be captivated and enticed to listen to the whole series. -Jesse Hughes