Old patterns in new places: the topics and voices of Australian true crime podcasts

Since the publication of Serial in the United States, the true crime podcast market in Australia has expanded. The number of Australian true crime podcasts has increased, and there is a large podcast listenership across the country. As crime media can shape the public understanding of offences, victims and perpetrators through the selective emphasis on crime types and crime sources, the proliferation of true crime podcasts raises questions about which crime stories they circulate. While patterns of emphasis are well understood in relation to news, film and television, little is known about the topics and sources covered in contemporary true crime podcasts. To address this gap, this article presents findings from a qualitative content analysis of 360 episode summaries from short-form Australian true crime podcasts. It focuses on identifying the crime topics and sources covered in these texts in addition to the different episode styles. I argue that the subject matter and sources included reproduce dominant mainstream crime media patterns by focusing on fatal violence, particularly with regards to violence against women, while providing a contemporary site for police to maintain their symbolic authority.