Usually they would explain what they did to corroborate the story. This had none of that. I trust NPR specifically because they usually are transparent about their methods or disclose when they couldn’t meet their usually reporting standards.
The entire piece is based on it! What else should they have to explicitly mention, that they verified he even has a missing wife or that he is from China ?
The entire piece is based on a single source who could have an ulterior motive, i.e. selling his book. In my other comment, I note what they could verify, namely his claim to have received a call. They could look at his phone company’s receipts. They could attempt to contact the father. They could at least make a note that the author’s claims are unverified.
I came to post the same thing. I regularly donate to NPR, but shame on them for not seeking to corroborate his story. They could try to reach the father or ask to see the phone company’s billing record of the call. They could at least preface the story with a caution.
