By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion

The Twitterverse has spoken: Emma Green’s in-depth Atlantic piece detailing “How Two Mississippi College Students Fell in Love and Decided to Join a Terrorist Group” is “amazing journalism.”

It’s “complex & fascinating.” It’s “phenomenal reporting … highlighting the amazing work FBI does to fight online radicalization.” It’s a “must read.”

As Tony the Tiger might say, it’s grrrrreat!

What can I add to all of the above?

Not a whole lot, except for this: Amen!

The story hooks the reader from the beginning as it describes the couple’s plans to travel to Turkey and then Syria. At the end of the first section comes the kicker — the sudden twist around which the rest of this magnificent, heartbreaking story revolves.

The reporting is deep and nuanced — enhanced by crucial interviews with friends and relatives and close inspections of court records and federal investigators’ practices.

Green, a Godbeat specialist, blends a religion writer’s sensitivity to the complexities of faith with an investigative reporter’s dedication to pulling back every layer of the onion to uncover the truth.

Read the full column.

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All of my GetReligion columns (May 2017):

Continue reading “Choose your superlative, but The Atlantic’s deep dive on Islamic State radicalization is a must read”