Serial

Since 2000, when he was still a teenager, Adnan Syed has been serving a life sentence in a Maryland prison for the murder of Hae Min Lee. In Serial, Sarah Koenig and producers Julie Snyder, Dana Chivvis and Emily Condon explore whether the evidence that led to Syed’s conviction was sufficient, thereby offering a soulful examination of reasonable doubt in homicide trials. A productive experiment in long-form, non-fiction audio storytelling, the podcast hooked millions along the way, becoming one of 2014’s most talked-about and most eagerly-followed stories. As listeners were invited to parse the evidence and examine a murder case with almost unparalleled depth, they were also treated to meditations on memory, community, growing up, guilt, love, and criminality. Beautifully and intricately composed, utterly gripping, it’s a damning attack on disturbing flaws in the justice system. Serial rocketed podcasting into the cultural mainstream and inspired countless follow-up pieces and many a heated argument amongst friends about what actually happened on January 13, 1999. For its innovations of form and its compelling, drilling account of how guilt, truth, and reality are decided, Serial is honored with a Peabody Award.