True crime is one of podcasting’s biggest boom areas, with dozens of hit shows - Serial, My Favourite Muder, Dirty John, etc etc.. - attracting tens of millions of listeners, big advertising $s, and an increasing number of Hollywood studio deals.

 

But what is it that draws listeners to gory crime procedurals? Why do women particularly gravitate towards the genre? And what might the success of this category tell us about podcasting more generally?

 

Pete and Rachael dust off their best Sarah Koenig impressions and go to find out. 

 

Notes: 

 

True crime pods for the squeamish (like us): 

WBUR: Last Scene

Slate: Slow Burn

Murder We Wrote

 

Think pieces:

Rolling Stone: Why True Crime and Podcasts Were Made for Each Other

BBC: True crime: Five reasons why women love it

Vulture: The 10 True-Crime Podcasts That Changed Everything

 

Listening recommendations::

Athletico Mince

Dating While Gray

Field Recordings

Last Day

 

Email us: