In 2011, Indiana University student Lauren Spierer went missing. Though I was young when it happened, I vividly remember being interested and involved in her case—my parents volunteered in search parties, we prayed and fasted for her and her family, and we saw the missing posters up across town for years. Everyone in Bloomington was on edge. Despite being young at the time, it piqued my interest in crime.
Once I entered my early teens, I was hooked. I listened to the Crime Junkie and Morbid podcasts religiously, always looking forward to new episodes. I loved talking to my mom, another avid true crime fanatic, about cases and her opinions on them. We would watch Netflix documentaries and Dateline together, always eager to learn new details or perspectives on cases. As we often did, my mom and I found a new documentary to watch on Netflix: “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey.” As we were watching, the film introduced details and information we had never learned before, and previous assumptions we held about the case and people involved in it were being proved wrong. After realizing this, I began to wonder if I should be using true crime as an entertainment source if it can be produced unethically and offer skewed representations of the truth.
Unfortunately, the misrepresentation of the Ramsey case is not a unique situation. With the increased popularity of true crime media, these podcasts, documentaries, and other forms of content are being produced at a rapid pace, catering to their audiences’ desire and often disregarding the people involved in these cases. With the growth of media forms such as podcasts, documentaries, and social media platforms, the true crime genre has gained a lot of attention. According to the Pew Research Center, “34% of U.S. adults who have listened to a podcast in the past year say they regularly listen to podcasts about true crime” (Naseer and St. Aubin). In a separate study, Pew Research Center also found that nearly 25% of the top-ranked podcasts in the U.S. are true crime podcasts, outranking all other genres by a significant amount (Stocking et al.). These studies show that the true crime genre has not only become popular but has become one of the most popular podcast genres. While these studies only explore the growth of true crime podcasts, the same idea can be applied to documentaries and other forms of media—true crime is much more popular than it used to be, appealing to a large audience.
Because of the high demand for true crime entertainment, quantity is often more valuable than quality. In an effort to satisfy their audiences, producers often put ethics on the back burner, leading to true crime media that “exploits or diminishes victims, survivors, and their family members” (Sayles). In his article for The Ringer, journalist Justin Sayles includes several examples of documentaries that have come under fire for various reasons, such as Netflix’s Making a Murderer. The show follows Steven Avery’s murder trials and led most of the audience to believe that Avery was innocent despite his guilt because producers left out significant evidence proving his guilt (Sayles). Portraying perpetrators as victims, omitting evidence from a case, painting a different picture of the truth, and diminishing victims’ stories to the background are all problematic approaches taken in true crime media.
I had never considered a lack of respect to victims or their families to be a part of true crime media production, but the reality of it is unsettling. Most of the podcasts or documentaries I have seen include little to no input from those close to the case and diminish the effect the crimes had on real people. Should I be chasing entertainment that is falsely representing the truth and ignoring the experience of those involved?
Annie Nichol wrote about experiencing such exploitation personally. Her sister Polly Klaas was abducted and murdered, bringing a lot of unwanted attention and pain to her and her family. There are family members and friends connected to every victim, and this exploitation of their experiences takes a toll “as their tragedies are commodified and their privacy violated for mass consumption” (Nichol). As Nichol discusses, the obsession with true crime is a constant reminder of pain and trauma victims and survivors went through, rubbing salt in their wounds.
The idea that my “comfort shows” are profiting off someone’s pain, even indirectly, makes me doubt my interest in true crime.
Another reason to reconsider true crime as entertainment is the fact that many minorities are underrepresented and many white people, especially white women, are overrepresented in the genre. Senior editor for The Atlantic, Lenika Cruz, touches on the reality that white women don’t make up the majority of victims, yet they account for the majority of true crime media representation. She poses the question, “when was the last time the victim in a true-crime story was a young, unarmed black man?” (Cruz). If cases are being publicized and shared, should they not depict the reality of the cases? Nichol’s article also connects to this idea. She states that the spotlight on true crime can create “broader injustices,” exemplified by the three strikes law in California, which requires defendants convicted of their third crime to receive a 25-year minimum sentence (Nichol). While it could be effective if practiced fairly, the law is often enforced unfairly to minority groups. The law was enacted because of the frenzy surrounding a couple of murder cases, including Polly’s, and is often upsetting to those connected to the victims, knowing that their pain was taken advantage of to create something that continues to harm others (Nichol). When stories unfairly represent the reality of cases and the identity of the victims, they diminish the experience and lives of victims and their families.
I remembered that I had listened to a podcast episode about Polly Klaas’s case and enjoyed learning about it, but after reading Annie Nichol’s article about her experience, I felt guilty that I had found any entertainment in her case. Even though I listened out of curiosity and had no malintent, I contributed to the pain that Polly’s family felt.
Of course, I would never want to minimize someone’s experiences or reinforce false narratives, but it might not be that finding entertainment through true crime is all bad.
Many people find comfort in and benefits from consuming true crime media. Andrea Marks pointed out in her article in The Atlantic that true crime audiences are often drawn to the cases that include a “trick to survival.” By listening to these stories and hearing details about what situation a victim was in, listeners learn how to avoid similar situations and keep themselves safe, especially women. As Pew Research found, women are the primary audience of true crime podcast listeners, and women are often the victims portrayed in this media (Naseer and St. Aubin). By exposing themselves to these stories, true crime audiences, especially female audiences, find a sort of protection and sense of safety.
I certainly have learned more about keeping myself safe and have several people in my life who have found the same ideas helpful. Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious serial killers and one regularly covered in podcasts and documentaries, took advantage of women’s desire to aid someone in need to kill them. Though it may sound harsh, many women have become victims because they were simply trying to help. Hearing about scenarios like this motivated my mom, the true crime aficionado she is, to instill the belief in my sisters and I that it is better to be rude than to be dead. Listening to and learning from these podcasts has rooted certain habits and principles in me that I rely on and practice in my life to protect myself.
New York Times author Phoebe Lett briefly explores the same idea and quotes professor of criminology Dawn Cecil, who says true crime teaches people “how to protect themselves” and “deal with their trauma” (Lett). Though the content is very heavy, typically covering stories about murder and kidnapping, it may have the ability to provide an outlet for fear as well as educate its audience, sharing tips to stay safe and avoid dangerous situations.
In her article, Marks also points to the famous true crime podcast My Favorite Murder to identify another benefit of listening to true crime podcasts. According to Marks, listening to the podcast has “opened the door to a virtual support group” and provided a community for thousands of fans to connect over not only their interest in true crime but topics such as mental health issues and addiction. Listening to these podcasts and bonding over shared interests creates a sense of camaraderie, helping people form relationships. While people typically bond over their curiosity of crime, addressing other life experiences and struggles can support audiences on a deeper level. Dr. Pamela B Rutledge wrote an article for Psychology Today about our fascination with crime and the psychological benefits of true crime. Though podcasts foster parasocial relationships, “they still fulfill social needs and foster trust,” offering “intimacy and immersion” (Rutledge). Even if it isn’t the most ideal form of interaction, we as humans need connection, and listening to podcasts, even ones about crime, can foster that connection.
A surprising benefit found through listening to true crime podcasts and watching true crime documentaries is relief from anxiety. Though counterintuitive, many people find that true crime helps them face their crime related anxiety and acts as a sort of “exposure therapy” (Marks). Dr. Coltan Scrivner, a researcher at Aarhus University, wrote about the positive effects of the horror genre and the opportunity it may give people to “engage with fear in a controlled environment, potentially leading to improvements in emotional clarity, cognitive flexibility, and physiological regulation” (22). Though horror movies and books are fictional, there are many shared characteristics between it and true crime media—death, injury, kidnapping, murder, and assault. While audiences of horror and true crime are not immune to fear, taking in this media gives individuals a chance to safely confront and cope with their fears.
I will be the first to say that I am scared of crime. Who isn’t? I am a very anxious person, and the idea of facing harm or danger can be terrifying, but by enjoying true crime, I face the reality and inevitability of crime in the world, do what I can to stay safe, and move on.
Though Annie Nichol shared the social downsides of enjoying true crime, there can be social benefits to true crime funding our entertainment. Deann Gayman writes about Professor Kelli Boling’s research on the impacts of true crime. True crime media brings “public attention to a case; [educates] about the criminal justice system; and [puts] pressure on criminal justice officials to solve a case and pursue justice for the victims” (Gayman). There are many cases that need to be solved, and bringing attention to cases raises awareness, brings in tips or evidence, and pressures officials to amplify their efforts to solve a case.
If true crime media needs to be produced more ethically, would greater attention to the genre not allow for change to occur? Rutledge touched on this in her article about the popularity of true crime. If the audience is larger, cultivating greater awareness, they can “promote empathy for victims, and encourage more responsible consumption of true crime content” (Rutledge). With more people attuned to the downfalls of the genre, more people can stand up for change.
Understanding the imperfections of true crime entertainment gives me the power to make a change. I can educate myself on the production of various podcasts or documentaries and avoid what was created unethically. I can advocate for change in the legal system and ally with victims and their families.
True crime media as entertainment is flawed. It often misrepresents cases, leaves out evidence, exploits victims and their families, and takes advantage of people in vulnerable positions. These aspects should be taken seriously, and amending these issues should be a priority. Despite the flaws, however, listening to true crime podcasts and watching true crime documentaries can teach us safe habits, provide community, relieve anxiety, and bring attention to issues that need to be resolved. There are positive and negative sides to using this genre as entertainment, and I will just have to decide if the benefits outweigh the harms.
Works Cited
Cruz, Lenika. “The New True Crime: Telling Stories about Murder for the 21st Century.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 11 June 2015, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/true-detectives-serial-the-jinx/393575/.
Gayman, Deann. “University of Nebraska–Lincoln.” Nebraska Today, 9 Oct. 2025, news.unl.edu/article/research-examines-the-good-bad-and-ugly-of-true-crime-media.
Lett, Phoebe. “Opinion | Is Our True-Crime Obsession Doing More Harm than Good?” The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 28 Oct. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/10/28/opinion/true-crime-petito.html.
Marks, Andrea. “Why Listening to Murder Stories Makes Some People Less Anxious.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 21 Feb. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/02/the-true-crime-podcast-turned-mental-health-support-group/517200.
Naseer, Sarah, and Christopher St. Aubin. “True Crime Podcasts Are Popular in the U.S., Particularly among Women and Those with Less Formal Education.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 20 June 2023, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/06/20/true-crime-podcasts-are-popular-in-the-us-particularly-among-women-and-those-with-less-formal-education/.
Nichol, Annie. “Opinion | My Sister Was Murdered 30 Years Ago. True Crime Repackages Our Pain as Entertainment. (Published 2024).” The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 8 Jan. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/01/08/opinion/movies-books-true-crime.html.
Rutledge, Pamela. “The Popularity of True Crime: Why We Can’t Stop.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 13 May 2025, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/positively-media/202505/the-popularity-of-true-crime-why-we-cant-stop.
Sayles, Justin. “The Bloody Bubble.” The Ringer, 9 July 2021, www.theringer.com/2021/07/09/tv/true-crime-documentaries-boom-bubble-netflix-hbo.
Scrivner, Coltan. Scaring Away Anxiety: Therapeutic Avenues for Horror Fiction to Enhance Treatment for Anxiety Symptoms, 4 Feb. 2021, https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/7uh6f.
Stocking, Galen, et al. “A Profile of the Top-Ranked Podcasts in the U.S.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 15 June 2023, www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2023/06/15/a-profile-of-the-top-ranked-podcasts-in-the-u-s/.
