Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile: A Look into the Effects of True Crime in the Media
Image Courtesy: https://arbiteronline.com/2024/09/30/ethics-of-true-crime/
If you were to ask me my favorite way to wind down after a stressful day, I would have a simple and clear-cut answer: hand me a Sephora face mask, pour me a glass of pinot grigio, and click “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” on Netflix. No matter how many times I’ve seen it, or any other true crime docuseries for that matter, it doesn’t stop me from repeating the series time and time again.
I love true crime as much as the next person, if not even more. With a major in journalism and a minor in criminal justice studies, I’ve centered much of my higher education and possible future career around the topics that seem to fascinate me so much. Mystery, malefactions, and murder, are three words that usually inspire feelings of panic. Yet, when put together in a series that showcases past and notable crimes, calm me down more than anything else.
My Netflix “suggested” is always pushing a new series toward me, knowing I’ve already seen the majority of crime shows and movies they’ve created through their platform. I’m the stereotypical girl who binged “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” in two days. I had never given much thought to my enjoyment and continuous streaming of true crime media until a friend of mine asked me my opinion on the negative effects this type of media can have.
I was shocked to realize I didn’t automatically have a response, let alone a defense. In all honesty, I had never really thought about it.
What is it about true crime in the media, whether through books, podcasts (you’re hearing from an avid listener of “Anatomy of Murder”),or TV shows and movies, that draw so much attention and interaction from the public? YouGov published a 2022 study in which they found that 53% of participants enjoy true crime drama, with 13% saying it’s their favorite. A 2022 Pew Research Study shared how 24% of the 431 top-ranked podcasts centered around the topic of true crime. I became curious as to why I - alongside what seemed like everyone else - supported this phenomenon, which plays a huge part in today’s media.
Some psychologists speculate that this popularity stems from an interest in topics like theft, rape, and murder that have been a part of our society since the beginning. It leads to questions from viewers, attempting to understand the ways in which a criminal’s mind works. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill deemed that there is a thrill associated with consuming this media, similar to the way people ride roller coasters or go into haunted houses, facing danger in a controlled setting. They share that this adrenaline can come from the public trying to solve the mystery themselves, observing the evidence, and coming to their own conclusions.
Another Pew Research Study conducted in 2022 showed that, out of the supporters of true crime podcasts, women are almost twice as likely to regularly listen in comparison to men in the United States (44% vs. 23%). As popular as true crime is to the population in general, researchers speculate that there are specific reasons it resonates so much with this specific demographic. Some say this is due to the fact that women identify more with victims of violent crime as opposed to men, and through consuming this content, they can express fears of their own or view it as a type of education on how to avoid being a victim of a violent crime.
The most important aspect of my interest regarding my enjoyment of true crime media stems from my biggest concern: how does this phenomenon affect victims of violent crime? While true crime media can lead some individuals to feel more educated and, therefore, more safe, it is seen as a fictional series or story. For the families of the specific victims the media is depicting, or the victims themselves, it is all too real and can be interpreted as exploitative. The relapse in media attention can lead to people reliving painful memories of trauma and suffering, at times striking after years of attempts to heal and find closure.
The frenzy surrounding true crime in the media is not going to stop, and with that, I plan to still listen to my podcasts, read my books, and watch new docuseries that air on my streaming platforms. That being said, I try to change the way I think about and consume this type of media. I remind myself that many scenes, interviews, or depictions are biased, exaggerated, or even untrue. I attempt to focus more on the facts and timelines of the story instead of zoning out and getting lost in the production of it all.
Most of all, I try to remember that the victims and families are real people, and no matter how entertaining a new series can be, it still depicts the tragedy of a life unjustly lost. Fictional as a series may be, that still rings true.
Strike out,
Ann Harper Covington
Editor: Madelyn Launer
Works Cited
https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2023/06/15/a-profile-of-the-top-ranked-podcasts-in-the-u-s/
https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/general/examining-the-popularity-of-true-crime-and-its-impacts/
https://today.yougov.com/entertainment/articles/43762-half-of-americans-enjoy-true-crime-youg
https://www.unc.edu/posts/2024/01/11/why-are-we-fascinated-by-true-crime/
https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-true-crime