Engagement over Ethics: Rethinking True Crime Coverage

When storytelling crosses the line from awareness to exploitation.

Blood, guts, and glory–– to the one with the most engagement. The community of content creators who build a brand on detailing true crime cases in gossip mode grows with the increasing sensationalization of tragedy. It is evident that modern generations are desensitized to graphic violence, death, and disturbing details. Edison Research found that 84% of the U.S. population aged 13+ are true crime consumers, meaning they watch or listen to true crime through any medium. The audience appetite for this content is simply massive.

In recent years, the genre has evolved to blend professional journalism with entertainment reporting and internet sleuthing. Discourse surrounding any modern murder case is available on every platform. In the name of awareness, this can be a positive and powerful tool. But the more voices the better? Maybe not. 

The perfect formula for a sensational tragedy: an element of scandal, a level of mystery, and a young, beautiful victim whose smile lit up every room. How could one not be interested? Gabby Petito was the face of one of the most covered American murders. At only 22 years old, she was murdered by her fiance, Brian Laundrie, on a cross-country road trip in her van. This is a case in which internet sleuthing helped string together missing pieces of the timeline that lead up to her demise. Awareness wins.

In November of 2022, four University of Idaho students were brutally murdered in their off-campus home. As the world watched the investigation unfold in real time, the internet lit up with theories and accusations that caused the suffering of several innocent people involved. Eventually police discover Bryan Kohberger through a DNA profile from the murder weapon. Sleuthing fails.

Facing insolent assertions of blame, the health and safety of the accused and their families are compromised as a name tainted in the court of public opinion rarely recovers. Worst of all, names of deceased victims are subject to an echoing of speculation that disparages justice. When true crime creators fail to utilize the appropriate reporting vocabulary in their content, even awareness as a cause suffers. This is consequential to the fact that content creators lack an established ethical code by which to adhere. No one is getting fired for inaccuracy. In fact, those with the most interactions on their post are rewarded. Clearly, this is not journalism, but engagement farming. 

Feeding on morbid curiosities of the public, creators on video platforms obtain clicks through attention-grabbing headlines. Bailey Sarian, a popular Youtuber known for her Murder, Mystery & Makeup series has mastered the art of engagement. Her delivery lands somewhere between a girly gossip session and a campfire story. “‘No one could hear them scream.’ The babysitter from hell” is the upload title of an episode that covers the crimes of Christine Falling, infamously known for smothering several children to death in the 80s. Falling was a sociopath who slithered her way through a care system largely reliant on trust, and her victims were small children aged from 8 months to 4 years old. “Babysitter from hell” may be an appropriate sentiment, though it might be worthwhile to consider sparing scrollers the disturbing detail of a child’s dying moments. The video garnered over 2.3 million views with comments praising Sarian’s makeup application. Not a comment on anyone's choice of words.

As true crime thrives at the intersection of curiosity and commerce, creators and consumers alike must recognize the fine line between raising awareness and exploiting tragedy. Empathy for victims and loved ones should remain at the forefront of every true crime creator's process. Their stories are not commodities for clicks, and without ethical guidelines, the pursuit of engagement will confuse the cause. It may be worth it to add: so will the pursuit of entertainment within the wrong genre.

In a digital age where engagement pays, it is imperative to consider the social consequences of framing murder as a "storytime" event.