True Crime Podcasting: Journalistic Epistemology and Boundary Marking

Abstract

Non-fictional true crime reporting has always enjoyed a somewhat deviant position within the journalistic field and has been rejected as sensationalist and not considered ‘good’ journalism by journalistic discourse. This study investigates six US-American true crime podcasts concerting their epistemic practices and reflection of possible ethical dilemmas and finds that while most podcasts series employ longstanding sourcing and reporting practices to legitimize their position within the journalistic field, they cannot fully shake the entertainment element.