Argumentative Essay On True Crime Podcasts

True crime podcasts are no stranger to controversy. Covering polarizing topics ranging from harassment to homicides, true crime has the potential to weigh heavy on our minds. As such, while I understand that listening to these topics is difficult for many of us, avoiding these topics poses the potential to cause more harm than good. In weeks following the Crime Weekly podcast’s recent series covering the atrocious murder of Hae Min Lee, critics of true crime podcasts have flocked to Crime Weekly’s comments in order to express their disdain for the podcast’s extensive detailing of the crime. The main concern of these critics — publicizing the violence. To critics who argue that the murder of Lee, and other similar cases, should not be detailed

Several critics of true crime podcasts are quick to passionately post on their blogs that all supposed perpetrators should not get any coverage, as it is believed that this “glorifies the actions of the alleged perpetrators” (Timea). And while it is true that some perpetrators are guilty beyond reasonable doubt, and should thus be solely depicted as guilty convicts, the flip side must also be considered: the imprisoned whose guilt was never solidified. True crime podcasts are infamous for their ability to examine multiple possibilities, with this critical thinking holding the ability to exonerate and change the lives of innocent individuals. Like Crime Weekly, the Serial podcast examined the murder of Hae Min Lee but, instead of focusing on the victim, chose to examine the supposed killer: Adnan Syed. The podcast’s investigation and reporting into previously unexplored evidence led to hundreds of listeners signing a petition for the case against Syed to be reinvestigated, which not only led to the case being reopened for investigation into other suspects, but also to prosecutors dropping the case against Syed. Syed’s lawyer himself is adamant that the podcast made an immeasurable impact on Syed’s exoneration, stating that he “always get[s] asked the question, ‘Did Serial help the case?’ [and his answer: ] it absolutely did” (Magarino). But, what would have happened if true crime podcasts never covered Syed’s case? More likely than not, he would still be in jail, forced to reconcile with the fact that there was no entity fighting for his innocence. The passion true crime podcasts have for the cases they cover allow them to become an avenue through which freedom is served for the innocent. It is this passion that allows for all details of a case to be investigated. It is this passion that forces the truth