COMM1921: True Crime Media

This seminar explores true crime as a compelling and enduring media genre that originated with the rise of mass media and now proliferates across television, the Internet, and newer media formats such as podcasting. We will examine the cultural history of true crime media and learn theories and techniques for analyzing the conventions, meanings, popular appeals, and the societal implications of today?s fascination with true crime-based entertainment. Topics for exploration include the popular mediation of crime and justice, the role of gender, race, sexuality, and class in true crime media, and the involvement of audiences as true crime spectators, fans, and interactive citizen detectives. We will also consider how true crime media influences public assumptions about criminality, safety, and police and legal justice reform.

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