True crime has exploded into one of the most popular media genres of the past decade. Podcasts, documentaries, and streaming series attract millions of listeners who are genuinely fascinated by criminal cases and the justice system. But this popularity comes with a significant responsibility—one that too many creators ignore.
Ethical true crime isn’t about avoiding difficult topics or sanitizing reality. It’s about telling true stories with the same care you’d want if your own family member was the victim. It means treating real people as human beings, not characters in entertainment. And it means being honest about what you know, what you don’t know, and where your information comes from.
This guide explains what ethical true crime looks like in practice, how you can identify it as a consumer, and why it matters for everyone involved—victims, families, investigators, and the public.
What Is Ethical True Crime?
Ethical true crime is content that prioritizes accuracy, respects victims and their families, and serves a purpose beyond entertainment. It treats criminal cases as real events involving real people—not as stories existing purely for audience enjoyment.
This doesn’t mean ethical true crime isn’t engaging. Some of the most compelling true crime content ever created follows ethical principles. The difference is in the approach: creators who practice ethical true crime ask themselves hard questions before publishing.
- Does this serve the victim’s memory or exploit their suffering?
- Am I presenting verified facts or speculation?
- Would I be comfortable if this victim were my family member?
- What value does this provide beyond entertainment?
These questions don’t limit storytelling—they improve it. When you commit to factual accuracy and respectful treatment, you often discover richer, more nuanced stories than the sensationalized versions.
The Problem with Exploitation
Not all true crime content is created equal. Some creators treat murders, assaults, and other violent crimes as raw material for entertainment products. They prioritize shock value over accuracy. They ignore victim families’ wishes. They speculate wildly about unproven theories.
This exploitation causes real harm:
To Victims’ Families: Family members of crime victims often have no control over how their loved ones are portrayed. They may encounter inaccurate information repeated across dozens of podcasts, retraumatizing them with each retelling.
To the Accused: People accused of crimes—even those later exonerated—can have their reputations destroyed by content that presents suspicion as guilt.
To Investigations: Irresponsible speculation can interfere with active investigations, poison jury pools, and spread misinformation that becomes difficult to correct.
To the Genre: When exploitative content dominates, it undermines the valuable work being done by responsible true crime creators who approach their subjects with care and rigor.
The true crime community has increasingly recognized these problems. Listeners are seeking out ethical alternatives—content they can engage with without feeling complicit in exploitation.
Core Principles of Ethical True Crime
Based on my experience producing true crime content from court documents and official records, I’ve identified several principles that define ethical true crime:
1. Source Everything
Every factual claim should trace back to a verifiable source. Court documents, sworn testimony, official reports, and on-the-record statements form the foundation. Speculation should be clearly labeled as such—and kept to a minimum.
2. Prioritize Victim Dignity
Victims were real people with full lives before they became crime statistics. Ethical true crime acknowledges their humanity. It doesn’t reduce them to just “the body” or focus disproportionately on their suffering.
3. Distinguish Fact from Allegation
Not everything charged is proven. Not everything suspected is true. Ethical true crime uses careful language: “allegedly,” “according to prosecutors,” “the defense claimed.” This isn’t hedging—it’s accuracy.
4. Consider the Living
Crime stories affect survivors, family members, and communities. Ethical creators consider how their content will impact these people. Sometimes this means omitting certain details. Sometimes it means reaching out before publication.
5. Serve a Purpose
Entertainment value alone isn’t enough. Ethical true crime should educate, illuminate systemic issues, honor victims’ memories, or contribute something meaningful beyond voyeurism.
6. Avoid Glorifying Perpetrators
Criminals don’t deserve celebrity treatment. While understanding criminal behavior has value, ethical true crime doesn’t romanticize perpetrators or treat their actions as fascinating rather than harmful.
How to Identify Ethical True Crime Content
As a consumer, you can evaluate true crime content using several criteria:
Check the Sources: Does the creator cite where information comes from? Do they reference court documents, police reports, or interviews? Vague claims without attribution are a warning sign.
Listen to the Language: Does the content distinguish between allegations and proven facts? Does it use careful language around unproven claims?
Consider the Victim Treatment: How much time is spent on victims as people versus just as crime victims? Is there gratuitous detail about violence that serves no informational purpose?
Look at the Purpose: Does this content teach you something about the justice system, human psychology, or social issues? Or is it purely shock value?
Research the Creator: What’s their background? Do they have experience in journalism, law enforcement, or related fields? Do they have a track record of accuracy?
Check for Corrections: Responsible creators acknowledge and correct errors. If a creator has never issued a correction, they may not be fact-checking carefully.
The Court Document Approach
One of the most reliable ways to create ethical true crime is to base stories primarily on court documents and official records. This approach offers several advantages:
Verified Information: Court documents contain sworn testimony and evidence that has been examined under legal standards. While not perfect, this is more reliable than second-hand accounts or media reports.
Complete Context: Legal filings often include details that never make it into news coverage—background information, victim impact statements, the full chain of events.
Primary Sources: Court documents are primary sources, not interpretations. They show you what prosecutors argued, what defendants claimed, what evidence was presented.
Public Accountability: Federal court records are generally public, supporting transparency and allowing readers to verify claims themselves.
This approach requires more work than simply reading news articles or Wikipedia entries. It means accessing PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records), reading lengthy legal filings, and synthesizing complex information. But the result is content that’s more accurate, more detailed, and more defensible.
Learn more about using court documents for research →
Victim-Centered Storytelling
Victim-centered storytelling keeps the victim’s humanity at the center of the narrative. This means:
Introducing Victims as People: Before describing the crime, establish who the victim was. What did they care about? Who loved them? What were their aspirations?
Avoiding Gratuitous Violence: Include necessary details about crimes without dwelling on suffering for emotional impact. The fact that violence occurred is important; extended descriptions of that violence often aren’t.
Acknowledging Impact: Crime doesn’t end with verdicts. Victim-centered storytelling addresses lasting effects on survivors and families.
Respecting Privacy: Some details, even if known, don’t need to be published. Victim-centered creators think carefully about what the victim would have wanted shared.
Giving Victims Voice: Whenever possible, include victims’ own words—from testimony, victim impact statements, or other sources—rather than speaking for them.
This approach doesn’t make for “softer” true crime. Some of my most impactful episodes deal with genuinely horrific crimes. The difference is in the framing: I’m telling stories about people who deserved justice, not providing entertainment product derived from their suffering.
Why Solved Cases Matter
Many popular true crime podcasts focus on unsolved cases or ongoing investigations. While these can be valuable, I focus almost exclusively on solved federal cases. Here’s why:
Complete Stories: Solved cases have endings. I can tell you what happened, who was responsible, and what consequences followed. This narrative completeness matters.
Justice Has Been Served: When someone has been convicted and sentenced, the legal process has run its course. I’m not interfering with investigations or potentially prejudicing juries.
Clearer Facts: After trial, the evidentiary record is established. I know what was proven beyond reasonable doubt, what was admitted by defendants, what evidence supported conclusions.
Educational Value: Solved cases show how the justice system actually works—or fails to work. They illustrate investigative techniques, legal processes, and systemic issues more clearly than ongoing mysteries.
This isn’t to say unsolved case coverage can’t be ethical—it absolutely can. But solved cases reduce certain risks and offer different storytelling opportunities that align with my approach.
Red Flags to Watch For
Not all true crime content claiming to be “ethical” lives up to that standard. Watch for these warning signs:
No Sources Cited: If a creator never mentions where information comes from, be skeptical. Ethical content shows its work.
Excessive Violence Descriptions: Detailed, prolonged descriptions of violence that exceed what’s necessary for understanding the case often indicate exploitation.
Perpetrator Fascination: Content that spends more time making the criminal “interesting” than honoring victims has misplaced priorities.
Speculation Presented as Fact: Theories and suspicions stated without qualification as if they’re proven truth.
Ignoring Family Wishes: If victim families have publicly asked not to be covered and a creator proceeds anyway, that’s a significant ethical breach.
Clickbait and Sensationalism: Titles and descriptions designed purely for shock value rather than accurate representation.
No Corrections or Accountability: Creators who never acknowledge errors or respond to legitimate criticism.
How I Apply These Principles
At True Crime Cases You Haven’t Heard, ethical true crime isn’t just an aspiration—it’s my operating methodology. Here’s how I put these principles into practice:
Court Documents First: Every episode begins with federal court records. I read indictments, plea agreements, sentencing memoranda, and transcripts before forming narratives.
30 Years of Experience: I bring three decades of investigative writing experience to every case, applying professional standards to source verification and fact-checking.
Victim Dignity Always: I establish victims as complete human beings and never include gratuitous violence descriptions. Their humanity remains central throughout.
Clear Attribution: When I state a fact, I tell you where it comes from. “According to the sentencing memorandum…” “Prosecutors alleged…” “The defendant admitted…”
Solved Federal Cases: I focus on cases where convictions have been secured, ensuring complete narratives with established facts.
Episodes Demonstrating These Principles
My entire catalog demonstrates ethical true crime principles in action:
- They Were Hiking Friends. Then She Ordered the Hit.
- Betrayal of Justice: The Linus Thuston Story
- The Dollars Over Death Hospice Fraud
- The Elvis Presley Scam That Almost Worked
- Field of Schemes: Everyone Loved Him
True Crime That Serves a Purpose
Ethical true crime isn’t about limiting what stories can be told. It’s about telling those stories with integrity, accuracy, and respect for everyone involved—especially victims who can no longer speak for themselves.
As a consumer, you have the power to support ethical content and reject exploitation. Pay attention to sourcing. Notice how victims are portrayed. Consider whether content serves a purpose beyond entertainment.
As a creator, I have a responsibility to do better than the genre’s worst examples. Real people’s lives, memories, and families are at stake. The stories I tell should honor that reality.
True crime can educate. It can illuminate injustice. It can honor victims’ memories and help communities heal. But only when it’s done with care, honesty, and a commitment to ethical principles.
Related Reading
- How to Use PACER for True Crime Research — Step-by-step tutorial for accessing federal court records
- Court Documents as Primary Sources — Complete guide to court document research methodology
