For example, I’ve produced a lot of episodes in the past year that tie into trending true crime documentaries that feature high profile cases in the Carolinas. It seems like every other day there are new documentaries released, along with true crime shows like Dateline and 20/20. I found an article on the DigitalTrends.com website written by Christine Persaud that explores our country’s obsession with true crime.
With the true crime genre more popular than ever, it has us wondering: Why are we so taken with such a dark and disturbing genre? The answer leans to part escapism, part morbid curiosity. Ironically, while true crime is rooted in fact, watching these terrible tales about events that took place decades or even just a few years ago offers a strange sense of satisfaction that maybe things are and will be OK, because, well, they could be worse.
The article also stated:
That these stories are rooted in fact can be an alarming realization. But psychotherapist Kathleen Check, who spoke with Barth for her article, posits that watching true crime shows, particularly those about killers, provides viewers with a sense of being able to see inside the mind of a killer, “thus creating a psychological protective barrier.” In other words, understanding how evil people think and operate provides a better chance of knowing how to protect yourself.
For me personally, the documentary, “The Confession Killer,” which focused on the numerous false confessions of Henry Lee Lucas, fascinated me because it showed a systemic-wide issue of closing murder cases simply because one man confessed to them. Watching all the archival footage, it became apparent to me that the special accommodations, meals, and elevation to an almost voyeuristic celebrity status in the state of Texas was the spark that inspired Lucas to confess to hundreds of murders he didn’t commit. I remember when I first discovered an article titled “Odyssey of Murder” that ran in an August 19, 1984 edition of “The Charlotte Observer,” I was intrigued. The article claimed Lucas was confessing to involvement with at least 10 crimes in North Carolina, including several murders that were eventually linked to other perpetrators through DNA evidence. And this was before the documentary “The Confession Killer” was released. I was motivated to watch it to explore the personality of a person who was clearly a pathological liar and as a journalist, I respected the ones who quickly caught onto the hoax and fought to have it exposed.
No matter what topic you’re passionate about, from video gaming to true crime to personal development to writing, podcasting is an excellent way to share your message and help you learn more about your hobbies and interests. Podcasting doesn’t have to be complex—with a plan in place, you can start your very own at very little expense.
Renee Roberson is an award-winning writer of both fiction and non-fiction who decided to use her journalistic background to create a true crime podcast focused on North and South Carolina. She will share the backstory of how she created her own podcast, examples of different formats, what kinds of software, subscriptions, and other tools you may need, finding ideas for creating podcasting content, monetization ideas, and how you can repurpose your materials in the 90-minute webinar “You Can Start a Podcast” on Aug. 16. You can register for the webinar here.
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3 comments:
Great post! I love the idea of turning a passion into a podcast. I love the idea of gaining info about the mind of a killer also gives you a better chance of protecting yourself. I think that's why I also watch Dateline and 20/20. It's a way of knowing, ah so that's how that happened/what they did.
Podcasts are really grabbing attention. My editor just asked me to write a book on how to create a podcast. That's going to be another tough one - getting all that info into a tight word count.
I love watching what you've done with Missing in the Carolinas. I really do think that people love true crime because they see learning about it as a safety net. Oh, I wouldn't have let them in. I never do X. I'd never trust someone who Y. We want to think that unlike these people, we are safe.
Podcasting is so hot, I prefer listening to podcasts than the radio. And I love what you've done with your passion. Missing In The Carolina's is a great platform that showcases all your talents!
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