The Ethics of Covering True Crime in Podcasts and Media

One of the increasingly well-known genres is certainly true crime, which, according to research, records an increase every year in the viewing of documentaries, podcasts, and other sites that provide these chilling stories of terrible crimes. As many as half of Americans listen to or watch true crime in some form every week, for numerous reasons, and we will list some of them for you. True crime podcast is one of the most watched and listened to, and every year there is an increasing demand for the analysis of new crimes.

What attracts people to true crime

What the listeners and viewers of this genre are interested in is the psychology of the victims, the perpetrator, the reasons that lead to the commission of the crime, the legal system, human psychology as well as the psychology of the crime itself. There is always the question of what makes a person commit any type of terrible crime, what are the trigger points, whether it can be established earlier that the perpetrator will do something terrible, and ways to prevent it.

Why are true crimes interesting?

Crime has existed since the beginning of time, it is, unfortunately, unchangeable and engraved in human nature itself. The reason why many people watch this genre is actually to get into the psychology of the perpetrator, to put themselves in the place of the victim, to analyze the way the crime was committed, as well as the previous actions, and the motives that led to its commission. 

Also, in many criminals, there are red flags that you can notice in time and thus get out of a dangerous situation. There is an anecdote where a woman went on a blind date with a man and the first time she saw him, she immediately felt upset. She ran to the toilet and called her brother to pick her up, and she remained locked in the toilet until her brother came to get her. You might be wondering which famous criminal was the one who gave her the chills, it’s Ted Bundy. In this way, her intuition, good reading of the situation, and timely reaction saved her from becoming his next victim.

What topics are covered by True Crime Podcasts?

Although the topic of true crime podcasts can be divided into several different topics, among the main ones are: murder mysteries, stories of serial killers, documentaries about mass crimes, and investigations of cold and serious crimes. Predominantly podcasts cover these topics because listeners are particularly interested in them. 

What True Crime Podcasts offer

The way they deal with these topics is a complete investigation, from forensic evidence, interviews with the police, interviews with surviving victims, interviews with victims’ families, interviews with lawyers and the prosecution, as well as a question of public opinion affected by crime. Besides these types of crimes, there are also podcasts about the biggest robberies and analyses of all the components of that crime. From the way the robbery was carried out, the perpetrator, the injured party, the way insurance works in this type of case, legal entanglements, as well as interviews with inspectors and the police working on the case.

The Mind of Madness

Just from the name, Minds of Madness, you can see that this podcast falls into a type of investigative journalism without any problems. This podcast has won many awards and is close to many people’s hearts because of the way they approach the topic. They offer some things that most podcasts do not, such as their investigative team, collaboration with the best forensics, inspectors, and members of the police, psychologists, and interviews with the families of the victim as well as the perpetrator of the crime.

Coffee and Crime Time

You can watch this podcast on YouTube, which is based on the standard drinking of coffee while talking about crimes, and mysteries with a little mix of history. The person who runs the podcast approaches the case objectively, analyzes all the facts, investigates the motives of the perpetrators, and the movements of the victims, and introduces you to the case in the true sense of the word.

Is it ethical to follow true crime podcasts?

Recently, the question has been raised whether this interest to this extent on the part of the listeners is ethical as well as on the part of those who produce the content. Maybe some think it’s not ethical, but one of the main points is the psychology of crime,the criminal and the victim. Because before every major crime, certain things reveal them, such as body language, behavior, nervousness, and many others. Therefore, we believe that this type of podcast teaches people how to recognize in time and notice the signs that their body or environment is giving them and react promptly.

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