A cousin of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anthony Shadid says he left a haunting message telling his wife, “if anything happens to me I want the world to know The New York Times killed me.”
The 43-year-old reporter died in Syria this February after sneaking into the country to cover an uprising against the country’s authoritarian government.
The New York Times dismissed Shadid’s dying words, absolving themselves of any guilt. Instead, the company claims, “The Times does not pressure reporters to go into combat zones.”
Ed Shadid, the foreign correspondent’s cousin, made the revelation at a Saturday meeting of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee in Washington, D.C., The Wrap reports.
“I feel like I’m a little mad at journalism,” said Shadid’s widow, Nada Bakri, during an appearance on CNN four months ago.
According to his cousin, Shadid suffered from many health problems. He died of a severe asthma attack during his stay in the war-torn country.