From solving cold cases to sharing history’s most chilling tales, true crime is now a staple of Australian entertainment. But as our obsession with these stories grows, so do concerns regarding the ethics of true crime. Is our consumption morally sound, or are we crossing a line? The way we engage with these stories directly impacts victims, their families and sometimes the course of justice.

Ethical considerations we will explore in this article are: 

• Fictionalising and dehumanising victims
• The rise of parasocial relationships 
• Re-traumatisation of victims 
• Romanticisation of criminals   

Fictionalising and dehumanising victims 

Over recent years, Australia has seen a large increase in the number of listeners of true crime podcasts. The 2025 Australian Podcast Report conducted by Commercial Audio and Radio found: 

• the true crime genre has over 3.4 million average monthly listeners
• 10 of the top 20 debut podcasts were in the true crime genre.    

Have you ever been listening to a true crime podcast and thought, ‘I hope the victim’s family doesn’t hear this?’ That’s because a lot of podcasts dehumanise victims and fictionalise real events for entertainment. Scrolling through the depths of online forums, you can find long debates about true crime podcasts and the ethical boundaries that they often overstep. Unethical podcasts often face backlash for desensitising and making jokes at the victim’s expense. The insensitive language makes listeners feel like they are not treating these delicate details with respect and affording victims’ dignity.  

A major ethical issue in Australia is the dehumanising of First Nation Australian cases. A sociological concept known as the ‘missing white women syndrome’, is a diversity gap between cases involving white victims and marginalised victims in true crime media.  

This results in true crime media often focusing attention on cases which involve young, white, middle-class females and ignore cases with First Nation and people of colour victims. Furthermore, this neglect results in fewer resources for investigators and cases going cold.  

The rise of parasocial relationships  

Parasocial relationships are one-sided relationships where an individual invests emotional energy, interest and time into a media figure, celebrity, or fictional character who in reality doesn’t know they exist. In true crime, individuals feel like they have real connections to victims, law enforcement and criminals.  

Some true crime creators and listeners have a parasocial relationship with law enforcement and feel like they are a part of the team. This is where the armchair detectives come in. While true crime creators and listeners have helped with leads and theories, there are times when true crime media interferes with investigations.   

Victim blaming and harassment are common outcomes of armchair detectives. Due to limited access these amateurs come to incorrect conclusions which result in innocent people and secondary victims being the center of online abuse and harassment from creators and listeners.   

A recent example of this is the 2022 Idaho murders of four college housemates. True crime TikTokers and podcasters quickly made this case a worldwide phenomenon. But, with very little information to access, users were accusing the remaining housemates of murder. Resulting in online harassment and abuse of victims, who were found innocent after formal investigation.   

Re-traumatisation for victims  

In Australia, and most of the world, access to court files is available to the public. This allows endless possibilities for how that information can be used – often without permission from those who are impacted. Victims’ names, background, family and friends are all unveiled for public consumption. Re-traumatisation is a major factor in the ethics of true crime. Consequently, victims often must live through the events of a case long after it has occurred, for the purpose of entertainment.   

Dr Edward Spence, a senior lecturer in media ethics at the Charles Sturt University, explores media ethics in his book, ‘Media, Markets and Morals’. He says:

“The very concept of information requires that its communication must be truthful, accurate, reliable and trustworthy, which in turn implies certain unavoidable ethical responsibilities and commitments on the part of those who produce and disseminate it.”

You may have noticed a rise in popularity for true crime drama series on your favourite streaming platforms. These kinds of shows face major ethical concerns for the exploitation of victim’s experiences. Although this genre remains popular, creators often face backlash from audiences questioning why stories of notorious serial killers like Jeffery Dahmer and Ted Bundy are still being retold in dramatised and gruesome ways. Profiting from victims’ real-life pain and re-traumatising them with the details of events is why true crime drama series remain problematic.   

Romanticisation of criminals 

Another aspect of true crime which has audiences questioning moral ambiguity is the romanticisation of criminals. In recent pop culture trends, criminals have become cultural phenomena resulting in audiences taking pity or petitioning on their behalf.

This romanticisation is blurring the lines between what is right and wrong – and impacting the justice system. For example, the case of Cameron Herrin who killed a mother and baby in a street-racing crash in 2018 became a viral topic online due to his conventionally attractive appearance. His case has featured on multiple podcast series since it became a viral sensation on TikTok. After he was sentenced in 2021 to 24 years imprisonment, an online petition was created and signed over 28,000 times to lessen his sentence. The corresponding hashtag was trending online, and many comments consisted of calling Herrin “too pretty for jail”.   

The ethical true crime checklist

Here’s a handy checklist to make sure that the true crime you are listening to and watching isn’t exploiting victims of crime. 

	Support media with informed consent.  The best way to ensure the victims have provided consent is if they are included in the project. Try to find true crime which involves the victims in the storytelling of their own experiences.
	Avoid sensationalism. Be wary of creators that turn real pain into overly-dramatised stories of events.
	Support ethical creators. Research who they are and try to find real journalists, investigators or creators who empathise and respect the dignity of victims.
	Steer clear of movies and series which tell stories through a fictionalised lens. Find docuseries and films that include primary sources e.g. detectives, secondary victims and witnesses.

How to spot unethical true crime media  

We’ve put together a cheat sheet to help you identify if your true crime media is ethical or unethical.  

Criteria	Ethical media	Unethical media
Accuracy	Reports facts that are supported with evidence	Spread misleading or unverified information
Sources	Uses credible sources e.g. witnesses, victims, law enforcement	Uses unreliable or anonymous sources
Headlines	Factual and honest headlines, reflective of the content	Exaggerated or manipulated headlines for clickbait
Images and video	No manipulation or editing. Media is used in proper context	Misuses or dramatically alters images and videos
Language	Professional, neutral and respectful	Emotional, inciting and exaggerated

Want to study the ethics of true crime?

Charles Sturt offers a range of courses which can help you explore ethics of true crime. Whether yo want to advocate for victims, pursue ethical storytelling or actively search for the ‘why’ behind human behaviour, we have a course for you.  

Course	Study this if…	You could work in…*
Bachelor of Criminology	You are curious about what drives criminals to commit their crimes.	• Criminology • Investigations • Law enforcement and policing • Research and analysis
Bachelor of Psychology (CRICOS 025518G)	You want to explore the human mind and decode human behaviours.	• Counselling • Human services • Research analysis  • Psychology
Bachelor of Communication (CRICOS 0101020)	You’re interested in telling sensitive stories ethically.	• Investigative journalism   • Court reporting • News reporting/presenting
Master of Ethics and Legal Studies	You want to further develop your ethical and legal interests.	• Local, state and national government   • Education   • Social work
Podcast Fundamentals – Free short course!	You want to explore how to reach and connect with people through podcasts.	• Podcasting  • Producing