Are True Crime Podcasts Exploitative?
True crime is a genre that for decades has had accusations of sensationalism, exploitation and unethical practices levied at it. In the case of true crime podcasts this is doubly true. Sarah Koenig’s 2014 podcast Serial is largely credited with kickstarting the surge in true crime podcasts we have seen in the almost decade since its release.
I don’t think that Serial should necessarily be given the accolade of single-handedly creating the genre, but it was released at the right time to capitalise on the growing popularity of podcasts. True crime has always been popular, specifically with women, who traditionally have been the victims of many of the crimes covered within the genre.
There is a perception that all true crime podcasts are exploitative in nature, but this simply isn’t true. Podcasting has a low barrier to entry. All you need is a microphone, laptop, Internet connection and an idea to get started. This means that literally anyone can start a podcast on any niche subject. And they do. Some podcasters in this space infuse true crime with comedy, which rarely works. Some mix alcohol with their commentary. And some appear to just read the Wikipedia entry for the case they are…
