True Crime as Entertainment: An Ethical Debate
Books, videos, movies, and podcasts; we are now seeing the proliferation of true crime content in a multitude of forms across all media platforms. Due to the accessibility of these detailed stories of what are usually horrendous criminal cases, more and more people have shown interest in this genre of media. From watching true crime documentaries at home to listening to podcasts while exercising, this genre of content has become a source of entertainment for a vast audience. But this rapid growth of a new category of entertainment has also led to a rise in an ethical debate: is it moral to consume often horrific stories of another person’s life or trauma as a form of entertainment?
True crime, by definition, is a nonfiction genre that deals with real-life criminal cases, and recently there have been more content creators dissecting these crimes; they are especially prevalent on YouTube and Spotify in the form of podcasts. While there is the stance that it spreads awareness around the cases, true crime content inevitably generates a lot of often unwarranted fear and even paranoia. The discussions of these topics can become excessively graphic and thus, overconsumption of or obsession with this genre may be detrimental to one’s mental health.
True crime content creators also face the criticism that they are being insensitive about the traumatic events that they detail. Many often discuss these topics while engaging in mundane activities, such as doing make-up or eating. This makes them seem like they regard these issues as topics of lighthearted conversation and, to many, this comes across as disrespectful. It also raises the question of whether or not it is worth potentially retraumatizing the victims and their families by bringing up memories of closed cases that they likely want to move on from. Furthermore, a lot of this content is monetized, and the idea that these creators are profiting off of another’s misfortune understandably leaves a bitter taste in people’s mouths.
Another important matter of contention surrounds the content that covers ongoing cases. These cases must be dealt with extreme caution as new information is still being released and it is easy to skew the story and provide a biased view. As the case unfolds in real life, the story may change drastically, and despite the creators’ efforts, there will inevitably be information that is incorrect or omitted entirely. This additional spotlight from such content could also result in the victims and their families getting harassed by the public; their past lives may be revealed and their every action exposed to potential attack. Furthermore, one wrong accusation by an unqualified creator could lead to a large community bashing the unjustly accused, destroying their reputation. The extent of this harassment is only exacerbated by the fact that it is difficult to alter information that is posted permanently as a video or podcast.
Ultimately, the choice to advocate or condemn the true crime genre is in the hands of the consumer. However, considering the risks associated with such content, especially towards the victims themselves, it’s understandably hard to fully justify this kind of content and praise it under the name of “raising awareness.”
