The Nation’s Obsession With True Crime Meets a Mother’s Grief - The New York Times:

Some attendees described their fascination with criminal minds; others said they felt deep empathy with the victims, and were lured by the enticing possibility that someone asking the right questions or unearthing a missing digital clue could help bring justice to a stricken family. Relatives of some of those families also signed up, posting materials and sharing stories, overjoyed that people and podcasters were eager to listen.

While the top-tier true crime podcasts may have high production values and the trappings of serious journalism and literature, the genre remains just as repulsive as it was when it was relegated to a few shelves of mass market paperbacks with lurid covers, tucked away behind the horror and romance sections in bookstores.

Good editing and high-definition audio do not change the fact that the genre is gross and exploitative. These podcasts profit off the pain and grief of the people involved in the stories they tell, and they cause real harm in the world.