As an avid mystery, crime, and horror buff, I refrain from listening to true crime podcasts. Don’t get me wrong, I find true crime fascinating, but it does not sit right with me. True crime often operates without the consent of the victim or their family. It generates profit off a very tragic and scary part of the victims life. It also forces families to relive traumatic moments of their loved one’s life.
With that being said, supporters of true crime argue that these podcasts and television shows raise awareness and can help solve cases that remain unsolved. Even with these proposed benefits to true crime, I would argue that it still does not justify potentially harming the mental wellbeing of those involved to provide entertainment to others. It is undeniable that true crime is here to stay. True crime is one of the most popular genres of podcasts. Moreover, Netflix has been pumping out true crime shows left and right. For example, Dahmer was heavily criticized by victims’ families for blindsiding them regarding the show.
Perhaps true crime can have a more ethical presence on podcasts and shows. It won’t be easy to make true crime ethical, though. It can be difficult for podcasters to describe the crime without distorting it for dramatic effect or entertainment purposes. Moreover, podcasters may have an agenda of their own and distort the true story with their own biases and agenda.
First and foremost, family and/or victim consent is necessary. Podcasters need to work closely with families and victims to make sure the story they are telling is accurate. By ensuring that the family gives consent with how the story is being told to listeners helps make true crime less exploitive. They are not just randomly blasted into the spotlight and forced to relive their trauma.
To make true crime more ethical, there also needs to be a shift on how podcasters produce the episodes. Rather than focusing on entertaining, which causes a distortion in reality, true crime podcasters should shift to an educational viewpoint. These true life stories are not meant to be glamorized or romanticized. Rather, they should focus on bringing attention to important issues.
No judgment if you do listen to true crime. Millions of people, including myself, are drawn in by true crime podcasts for many reasons. However, I will urge you to pay attention to how your podcaster is presenting the story to you. Are they glamorizing a killer? Or are they giving a voice to an unheard community of people? It’s our responsibility to support media forms that aren’t exploiting vulnerable families. By showing our support to ethical true crime we can change how the future of true crime proceeds, hopefully more respectfully to the victims.