Abstract
The true crime genre, which focuses on real cases of harm told in an entertaining, narrative format, is enormously popular in the United States and abroad. While existing research has extensively explored true crime's content, producers, and audience reception, one significant perspective remains overlooked: that of co-victims (i.e. the loved ones of individuals who are missing or have been victimized). To fill this gap, the researchers conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 co-victims. Each co-victim had experienced their loved one's case being covered by true crime media. For this study, the researchers were interested in co-victims' views on the positive (i.e. beneficial) impacts of true crime media attention. Co-victims noted three primary positive effects: They felt the genre could (a) bring needed attention to their loved ones' (and other people's) cases, (b) educate about criminal justice system issues, and (c) place pressure on criminal justice officials. Importantly, some respondents added important caveats to their responses, emphasizing that positive effects were dependent on the content being created ethically, factually, and with consent of co-victims.