of True Crime

of cases that true crime producers most commonly focus their coverage on present a narrative to consumers that is not truly representative of crime demographics in America.

The majority of true crime content is created by white women, consumed by white women and focuses on white, female victims, according to NPR. This contributes to the phenomena known as “missing white woman syndrome,” which refers to mainstream media’s fascination with covering missing or endangered white women and seeming disinterest in cases involving people of color.

Focusing primarily on white women makes it seem as if they are the group that is most likely to become victims of crime. The reality, however, is that most victims of violent crimes in America are people of color, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The overwhelming whiteness of the true crime genre reinforces the idea that white women’s lives are somehow more valuable than the lives of minority individuals, further ingraining racial bias into media and society as a whole.

Another primary criticism of true crime media is that through its proliferation, crime victims and their families are constantly forced to relive the most traumatizing experiences of their lives.

Because the facts and events of cases are part of public record, and their identities do not qualify for protection under the right of publicity, victims and their families find themselves powerless to stop their personal tragedies from being turned into chart-topping content.

This was the case for the family of Errol Lindsey, one of the 17 men killed by serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, whose murder was dramatized in the recent Netflix series, “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.”

In an essay for Insider, Lindsey’s sister condemned the show, alleging that it was produced without her family’s consultation or consent, and expressed that watching the reenactment of her own victim impact statement given at Dahmer’s 1992 sentencing was “like reliving it all over again.”

Additionally, an unfortunate trend recurring throughout the true crime genre is the content’s focus on the perpetrators rather than the victims. They often paint the perpetrators in a sympathetic light of providing them 15 minutes of fame, all the while glossing over or altogether erasing the victims of their crimes. Significant details are also often excluded for the sake of intrigue and dramatic storytelling.

The 2019 film “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” a dramatization of the life and murders of serial killer Ted Bundy, where Bundy was played by Zac Efron, drew particular criticism in this regard.

“A handsome movie star plays Bundy. The camera constantly pulls in close to Efron’s face, lingering on his portrayal of Bundy when he’s most sympathetic and funny and kind, rather than dwelling on his truly brutal moments. You know he’s evil, but the camera sure doesn’t,” film critic Alissa Wilkinson wrote for Vox.

Here’s the bottom line: while true crime is in equal parts fascinating and terrifying, it is impossible to separate its entertainment value from its exploitative nature and harmful effects on victims, families and society’s response to crime.

Next time you need your true crime fix, consider checking out any one of the abundant shows, movies and podcasts that cover fictional murders and mysteries, rather than picking a program that is cashing in on real people’s tragedies.

BY MANAGING EDITOR LAUREN SMITH & FEATURES EDITOR ARLETH GUEVARA

Relationships are hard, especially in high school, but what makes love and heartbreak so complex and desirable?