The Ethics of True Crime Media

In the eyes of an audience, true crime documentaries are a source of entertainment just like any other movie, show, or podcast. The tragic reality of murder and violence is often overlooked and the victims’ painful journeys are forgotten by the audience and seen as simply part of the plot. Viewers, including students at Stanton College Preparatory School, are so hooked on the atypical story of the crime, they disregard the fact that real individuals had to undergo such tragedies. The focus then begins to shift from the victim’s point of view to the killer’s as filmmakers often idolize them. Filmmakers tend to use true crime stories solely to engage the viewers, forcing victims’ families to relive disturbing experiences after the crime, making such documentaries unethical.

Recently, crime documentaries have risen in popularity as audiences attempt to unravel the mystery of the crime. The 2022 Netflix miniseries, “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” reached over one billion hours viewed, advancing the growing obsession for serial killer programming. However, Netflix failed to ask the victims’ families for consent before releasing the show. According to an Insider essay written in September 2022 by Rita Isbell, a sister of one of Dahmer’s victims, Netflix did not

By SHRAVYA NALLA, Staff Writer

reach out to her about the show before releasing it. An article published in The New York Times in October 2022 also revealed the victims’ families felt bothered and “retraumatized” because scenes in the show recreated disturbing moments, which were then circulated on social media. Matters got worse when Evan Peters, who played Dahmer, won a Golden Globe award on Jan. 10, 2023 for Best Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Television Movie. Though this win is huge for Peters and the series’ creators, it can have an increasing impact on the idealization of serial killers as this win glorifies Dahmer even more.

In the entertainment industry, there have been seven films, documentaries, and shows written about Dahmer and his killings. These shows are no longer introducing new evidence about his crimes. Instead, they are causing a resurgence of trauma, conflict, and grief for the victims’ families. Furthermore, the unnecessary portrayal of Dahmer as an “attractive” killer simply adds to the romanticization of serial killers. Directors Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan chose to emphasize his confidence by depicting him as an individual who seamlessly killed his victims. This romanticization later spread on social media when users began glorifying Dahmer by calling him “good-looking” and focusing on his appearance rather than empathizing with the victims.

Similar to Dahmer’s idealization, serial killer Ted Bundy was also glamorized in the 2019 film, “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.” Starring Zac Efron as Bundy, this movie portrayed him as an attractive individual as he was widely adored by women during his time in court. During his trial in the late 1970s, Bundy received fan mail and marriage proposals from multiple women. Although these real reactions are touched on in the film, the admiration for him was exaggerated. Rather than informing the audience about this adoration and condemning it, this film has the potential to increase the attraction that viewers have to Bundy. It also focused on the depictions of Bundy rather than retelling the heart wrenching stories of his female victims. He was presented as a charismatic individual, which was his way of manipulating women to fall in love with him. However, the film failed to focus on Bundy’s killings and glorified his appearance and personality instead.

In addition to crime documentaries, podcasts are also increasing the love for true crime. With popular series ranging from “Serial” to “My Favorite Murder,” crime cases are gaining attention from audiences, which filmmakers strive for. Although crime podcasts do sometimes provide justice for the victims and their families, they are often produced only to entertain viewers. Creators profit off of crime stories by reiterating the same tragic story in multiple ways, making the victims mere characters and permitting their audiences to ignore the true tragedies that took place.

With a catchy theme song and a personalized narration, the podcast “Serial,” started in October

2014, is packed with entertainment. Having almost 300 million downloads, these intriguing tactics strengthened the viewership of this crime podcast. However, the use of a captivating song can drift the viewers away from the heart of the crime, allowing audiences to forget the reality of the story.

Although “Serial” and similar podcasts are diverting viewers from the true plot of the crime, they can still have a positive impact on the individuals mentioned in the podcast. The growing obsession for “Serial” persuaded the Baltimore State Attorney’s Office to reinvestigate Adnan Syed’s criminal case involving the murder of Hae Min Lee. This led to Syed being released from prison on Sept. 22, 2022.

Although these series provide the general public with crucial information about the criminal justice system in America and its various cases, creating such a series is not worthwhile as its impact on the victim’s families outweighs the entertainment value of the film. Additionally, portraying the killer in a positive light can glorify the case itself and draw back from the reality of the crime. Instead, producers should present the killers in a manner that realistically depicts their killings.

While some consume true crime to entertain themselves, others use it to gain knowledge on different crime cases. Though some audiences have good intentions, this media allows them to forget that the victims mentioned are real individuals. While they are so focused on the actors and the plot, they fail to remember the victims were forced to go through cruel circumstances. Unfortunately, it is very unlikely true crime media creators will stop using the genre as a way to gain money and fame. Because of this, audiences should take responsibility for the consumption of crime content. They should not believe everything they see in films, as producers often shift the plot to fit the audience. If the morality of true crime media is questionable then it should not be watched as it is likely for the film to be problematic. Ultimately, it is both the audience’s and the content creator’s responsibility to make sure true crime media does not surpass their moral limitations.