True Crime Research Paper

It is speculated that violence in the media and in the news lead to the ride of the true crime genre, along with the inverse of the genre causing an increase in crimes committed and covered. Either way, there is some sort of relation or connection between the two, and it can be fair to say they feed off of each other. Another big issue with the genre is the way victims and their families are treated. These stories are often focused on the perpetrator and their actions, rather than the effect it has on the victims. Victims are treated as a byproduct of the crime rather than the affected. Along with all of that, serious light needs to be shed on the ethics of the genre. There are two sides to this issue, one being the background and implications of true crime. The way perpetrators are portrayed often pushes a narrative or agenda in the series, and the reason many find comfort or entertainment value in the genre is a nod to this. On the other hand, there is the journalistic and reporting ethics of it all, on how the stories are told. Host and writers of the show are not always the most ethical with how they share the stories, sometimes favoring entertainment value over the truth of the story.