Who Trolled Amber? - Introducing: Pig Iron

Episode Date: September 11, 2023

Christopher Allen was trying to make it as a war reporter when, aged just 26, he was shot and killed on the frontline in South Sudan. But as news of his death began to spread, suspicion grew. Some claimed he was really there as a mercenary, a fighter. Others said he was a reckless freelancer, in over his head. And there was another question: was he killed on purpose, or was this another accident of war? From Tortoise and the team behind Sweet Bobby, Pig Iron is a dark adventure in war and journalism – and into what really happened to Christopher Allen. Listen to the full series today. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Go ahead. Ready? Yeah, I'm ready. This story started with a question about the death of a young war reporter. His name was Christopher Allen. Is that a role? So, what now? I've introduced myself.

What now, Chris? What do we do now? In 2017, he was shot and killed in South Sudan, his body found lying in the grass. But beyond that fact, nothing was clear. I guess I'd want to know as much as you could find out. I want to know what really happened. Was he young and reckless, like some people said? You know, what made him tick? What motivated him? Talk to his best friends.

Was it an accident? Christopher Allen was a freelance journalist. Why do you call him a white rep? Or was he killed for some other reason? What was Christopher Allen doing in that situation? And was he ripped about the judge? We're right over South Sudan now, coming up over Juba. And we've just hit some turbulence.

Someone out there was promising answers. So you think it's a good idea for us to meet him in person? Carefully, but yes, I think so. What does carefully mean? You should always be careful in South Sudan. But as I started investigating, I was drawn into a bigger story. Wow, there's a lot more questions than I thought. I thought I had all the answers.

One of the great difficulties with working in war is that war is like pig iron on your moral compass. A story about truth, violence and the myths of war. From Tortoise and the team behind Sweet Bobby, this is Pig Iron, a series about the death and life of a young war reporter on the front line. There's no way that I can keep quiet about it. Truth is always painful.

And it is hard to understand. I wouldn't send him out. I know who killed him. And why.