True : leave it to the experts?

Alex Berry investigates why amateur sleuths pose a threat to trained crime reporters

From Making a Murderer to Cold Case Files, true crime has never been more popular. Alongside the content boom is a parallel rise in amateur sleuths, using social media as a space to theorise.

But is the fascination with true crime, and amateur investigators, a cause for concern? Where does it leave professional crime writers and investigative journalists?

According to a YouGov poll in 2022, one in three Americans say they consume true crime content at least once a week, and this growth is refected globally. A study by the University of Derby found that the frst series of true crime podcast, Serial, has been downloaded over 211 million times.

With the sheer amount of content out there, it’s no surprise that individuals are becoming familiar with typical patterns of certain crimes - learning more about how detectives work, and feeling empowered to self-publish their theories and opinions.

The search for Nicola Bulley is just one recent example. The 45-year-old went missing in January in Lancashire near the River Wyre. Bulley was missing for about three weeks, causing a media storm as well as a sea of conspiracies.

Some TikTok users posted CCTV footage, claiming to have spotted unidentifed potential suspects, with one video captioned: ‘Wake up people. This is a murder enquiry!’

When Bulley’s body was later found, some individuals pretended to be journalists, and tried to take photographs. This led to the arrest of one man on suspicion of malicious communications offences and perverting the course of justice.

Caroline Watson, head of Journalism and Communications at the University of Sunderland, says: “These amateur sleuths armed with smart phones are not police offcers, nor are they what I would defne as journalists. Worryingly, the mainstream media is becoming increasingly confused with social media users who play fast and loose with the law and ethics.”

Journalist, flmmaker and podcast host

Geoffrey Wansell has been producing true crime content over the last decade. He has written 12 books, including a biography of serial killer Fred West, and a book on the murderer of 13-year-old Milly Dowler. Wansell says: “We’ve got to the stage where everyone sees themselves as a potential detective or a potential reporter.”

The possible consequences of amateur sleuthing became clear in the case of the University of Idaho murders that took place in November 2022, resulting in the deaths of four students. Self-proclaimed ‘experts’ and enthusiasts took to TikTok with various theories.

This resulted in one professor fling a defamation lawsuit against a creator, who she claims implied her involvement in the murders – causing her to experience distress and fear for her family’s safety.

The saturation of the industry means there is a major risk of misinformation, sensationalism and panic.

Wansell argues that in investigations, accuracy and fact-checking is vital. “The basic tenets of being a good reporter absolutely apply to true crime. You have to be objective, careful and respectful of the victims and their families.”

This is problematised within crime discourse, where so many people are able to share ideas and claim them as ‘truth’.

The increasing role of social media in the news cycle could jeopardise the position of investigative journalists as a result. There are also limited regulations around the creation and publication of true crime content, save for general reporting restrictions and professional ethical codes.

Discussing his biography of West, Wansell says: “The police were very concerned about it, lest I make it impossible for Rose (West’s former spouse and crime partner) to get a fair trial. So I had to sign non-disclosure agreements. It seemed to me perfectly respectable that I should be prohibited from doing anything that might prevent her from having a proper trial.” This type of caution is seldom exercised with online content creators, making the surge of citizen journalists more problematic.

Investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre, who has written for several major newspapers and hosted his own crime examination series, Murder Files, says: “The mainstream broadcasters are gatekeepers for accuracy, standards and ethical compliance –constraints which don’t apply to independent content providers.” This, he explains, “can provide a vehicle for inaccurate and misleading content.”

However, MacIntyre also appreciates the impact of “citizen journalism”, explaining that “the audience has grown with the output and... craves diverse and alternative opinions on crime and criminality.”

He adds: “The wonderful thing about journalism is that there is no legal qualifcation required to be one. Strands like citizen journalism and independent producers have raised the quality and diversity of content, and I am sure that it will continue to do so.”

MacIntyre believes that the reception of audiences could also play a key role in minimising the problems associated with true crime content. Audiences are able to distinguish between mainstream broadcasters and potentially misleading independent content, he explains. “Most consumers can discern the difference, in my opinion.”

Protecting victims, and their networks of families and friends, is something that Wansell sees as particularly important within the realm of true crime entertainment. “We tend to glamourise the perpetrators, and underestimate the impact that their actions have on the lives of ordinary people who never asked to suffer this sort of pain,” he says.

So, is professional reporting and investigative journalism really under threat when it comes to crime? MacIntyre is optimistic.

“I think the future is bright. Commentators have been prophesizing the demise of investigative journalism since the creation of ITV in 1955. The sky did not fall in then on quality programming, and it won’t now.”