Being True to Yourself with True Crime
It’s no secret that true crime is an enormous draw in the podcast world. If you need that proven to you, look no further than a recent list of the most popular podcasts on Apple - nine of the top ten are either explicitly true crime series or cover crime stories on a regular basis. The other is a news program.
So yes, true crime is a true hit for podcast listeners. And it makes sense: the stories are often compelling, they adapt well to a serialized format, there are natural “cliffhangers” for the audience, and the material is widely available and abundant. All this might have you thinking that you want to tackle a crime series as your next podcast venture, or perhaps cover a crime story as part of your existing show. Even though you’re new to the genre, these few tips can help you handle a touchy subject with grace and dignity for both yourself and your subject.
It’s OK to feel weird
In fact, you probably should. These stories deal with some of the worst aspects of humanity - abuse, fraud, death. Unless you’re used to dealing with these subjects, you are probably going to feel a little awkward talking about them. And that’s ok.
A lot of podcasters have made their living being very cavalier when talking about murder and mayhem, but you’re not like a lot of podcasters. Treat your subject with the respect it deserves, and never forget that you’re talking about real people and stories with real consequences. Now is the opportunity to be one of the podcasters that “does better” while also covering stories that people are interested in.
Never lose focus of the victims
There’s one thing that’s painfully obvious about the true crime genre as it stands right now - the criminals are the stars. They’re the aberration. They’re the “weird” ones. Everyone else in the story was likely just living their lives like you or I, but the criminals were the ones that aren’t like us, and therefore they are inherently interesting.
It’s impossible to talk true crime without talking about the criminal, but pay attention to the balance of your show. Don’t give an in-depth background of a brutal murderer and then spend half a sentence talking about their victim. Find statements from family members, or even reach out to them if possible. Focus on news reports from the time to find out more about all the people involved in the story, not just the central offender. And speaking of the news…
Go beyond the headline
This is just good advice in general when covering an historical topic. Lots of podcasts have skated by with simply regurgitating the Wikipedia article of the crime, and perhaps adding in some of their own commentary. There certainly is an audience for that type of thing, but remember: YOU ARE NOT MOST PODCASTERS.
If you’re dealing with a crime that has already been investigated by law enforcement and taken to trial, there is a ton of publicly available information about it. Even if you do start at Wikipedia, dig into the articles that are referenced for more nuance and to hear what the principles involved were saying at the time. Going deeper than the surface is often a key difference between caring about a subject and using it for plays.
You are not the main character
Unless you had some sort of direct involvement in the story, this is not about you. You are not the victim of this crime. Don’t tell your listeners how much something affected you; let the story affect them. Bring them along with you on the journey, but don’t turn the headlights on you and how difficult it was for you to research or retell this story. Don’t lose focus on the subject, and never let yourself become the subject.
As with most things, there are always exceptions. Someone can ignore all of this advice and still have something that is compelling to an audience. But there’s always room for ethics in this business. Trying to approach your episodes with mindfulness can not only find a following of like-minded individuals, but also leave you feeling more comfortable about an uncomfortable topic.
Matt is one of the editors of the Webby Award-winner (Best New True Crime Podcast) ‘True Crime Reporter’. If you’re looking for support with your serialized podcast, contact Matt at mbstoker@gmail.com.
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