Catch Up With Adnan Syed On A New Podcast

We have a crucial update for all you Serial podcast nuts out there on the Internet... In less than one week, you can catch up on the case of Adnan Syed in a new podcast produced by lawyer Rabia Chaudry, his noted friend and supporter who brought the Syed story to Sarah Koenig. This information likely raises a few questions in your mind. What new information will the show uncover? Will it be sponsored by MailChimp? How will Chaudry's investigation differ from Sarah Koenig's?

Here's what we know for now. Chaudry's podcast, entitled Undisclosed: The State vs. Adnan Syed, will premiere on April 13. She'll host the 30-minute show with Susan Simpson and Colin Miller, both fellow lawyers and co-producers. Chaudry told PBS news hour that the show will be more of a legal analysis rather than a narrative, as Koenig's NPR weekly broadcast was.

They'll spend some time re-examining the details presented in Serial, setting Adnan's case within the context of his community, and introducing some new information about Adnan's case. Collins and Simpson have hired their own private investigator to look a bit further into things, so there will supposedly be some shiny new deets on the case.

Furthermore, Chaudry will be debunking some of what she sees as errors and omissions from Serial. “We’ve gotten so much feedback from cell experts saying, ‘That’s wrong,’ that it’s just impossible to pinpoint,” Chaudry told PBS, “It makes for great storytelling, but we have to get to the truth.” Chaudry has critiqued Sarah Koenig's reporting in the past, and this show will give her a chance to further explain what she believes was left unsaid.

You'll also get some sorely desired updates on Adnan's current legal case. Syed was granted an appeal back in February, and only a few updates on his case have come out since then. With her podcast, Chaudry hopes to make information about Adnan's case more accessible to people who may not be obsessively reading blog updates.

The style of Undisclosed will seemingly be more "expert examination" than narrative, and with that, we can hope for the tying up of some loose ends and some further investigation into various details. Also, Chaudry's perspective as an insider — particularly within the Muslim community in Baltimore — may help elucidate cultural nuances that Koenig didn't delve into.

However, I can't help but wonder whether Chaudry's point of view will effect her legal analysis. It's possible that her personal relationship with Adnan will lead to some confirmation bias, whereas Koenig's outsider perspective may have been slightly more objective. One thing's for sure. I'm gonna be listening.

Image: Courtesy of Serial Podcast