As fall begins and temperatures start to drop, the urge to stay in and watch something grows stronger. For some people, their pick is a true crime podcast or documentary, and that used to be my preference. However, I’ve recently become more skeptical of the ethics of the true crime genre as a whole.
I got into true crime because I stumbled across a video about criminal psychology. The video broke down a case, explained the way the perpetrator acted when being interrogated, and the eventual aftermath of everything that happened. As someone who’d always been interested in psychology, I was fascinated and quickly began searching for more criminal psychology-related content, which quickly funneled into true crime as a whole.Â
I’m certainly not the only person who has a true crime interest. Today, true crime is an established sector of media. Per a 2024 YouGov poll, 57% of Americans reported that they consumed some form of true crime content. With increased popularity, the amount of true crime content on the Internet seems almost limitless, and not everyone has the best intentions when creating a new documentary or video.Â
It’s all too easy to be scrolling through social media and end up on a TikTok explaining the details of a horrific crime while playing a video of someone playing with slime or Subway Surfers gameplay. YouTubers plug their merch in the middle of describing a crime scene. Etsy stores sell t-shirts with cartoon faces of serial killers printed across them. These kinds of actions display a lack of sensitivity towards the horrific crimes that completely changed or ended lives.Â
The lack of consideration towards the victims isn’t only done by individuals. In 2022, Netflix released a true crime series titled Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, named after the serial killer. Though popular, the series was controversial for a variety of reasons, but one major cause was the series’s decision not to reach out to the families of the victims of Dahmer’s crimes. Rita Isbell, the sister of Errol Lindsey, one of Dahmer’s victims, stated she was never contacted regarding the series, even though a scene from the show recreates Isbell giving her victim-impact statement in court during Dahmer’s trial. The lack of communication with those directly impacted by Dahmer’s actions illustrates a lack of regard for how their actions might impact victims, and illustrates a commitment to making money over considering or minimizing harm.Â
To be clear, I’m not saying I’m anti-true crime or believe that true crime content is all terrible. Well-researched, thoughtful, and kind coverage can highlight inequities in the justice system, spark discussion on societal issues, and still be informative and interesting. But it is crucial to remember that the victims at the center of these stories are people. They aren’t characters, and they deserve to be remembered through coverage that prioritizes respect instead of profit. True crime should put ethics first by communicating with families, being sensitive in how they portray stories, and choosing to monetize their content in a non-harmful way.Â
When I’m picking a new podcast for this fall, I’ll be looking not only at how they convey stories, but also how they approach the ethics of such a complicated yet impactful genre.