The mushroom case and the attraction of the true crime in podcasting

The alleged case of mushroom poisoning, in which Erin Patterson was involved, has recently become one of the most spoken Australia-and one that seems to have been tailored to the booming true crime-podcast genre.

Podcasting True Crime

Patterson, a woman from a regional Victoria, is accused of being frozen for her in-laws for her in-laws with a beef lunch with fatal death cap fun. Three people died. While the case remains before the dishes – and Patterson has not guilty because of several charges – his elements have attracted national attention: secret, family tensions and possible malice that are wrapped in domestic routine.

The case also reflects the development of the true genre. As soon as the area of ​​legal or investigative journalism has become a dominant media form – especially in podcasting. Series like seriesPresent The teacher's petPresent Case file And Shand's story have shown the hunger to the public after cases that are filled with turns, moral complexity and incorrect systems.

There are numerous podcasts for true crime about the case of Patterson, including the daily updates of the courtroom produced by ABC. With a convincing central figure, contradictory stories, a small city environment and an unsolved tragedy, it is practically podcast-capable.

The attraction of the true crime

What about true crimes that the audience returns?

For some it is a search for justice – or a fascination for its absence. For others it is the thrill to confront safely from a distance. In the best case, real crime asks the institutions, humanized the people affected and throws light on systemic errors. In the worst case, it risks that sensationalism and exploitation occurs – concerns that have grown with increasing genre.

In Australia, the genre has also proven to be powerful for investigative journalism. Hedley Thomas' The teacher's pet Podcast not only attracted millions of listeners, but also led to the reopening of a cold case and for the later conviction of Chris Dawson because of murder. It consolidated podcasting as a strong vehicle for journalism for public interests – albeit sometimes ethically popular.

Read: The best Australian true crime of 2024

While Erin Patterson's case continues to develop, it seems inevitable that writers and producers try to document and dissect him. But we act difficult questions: How are we ethically committed to the tragic tragedy in real life? When does public interest become voyeurism? And who has the right to tell the story of a crime?

These questions are not theoretical for the creative sector. Podcasters, filmmakers, journalists and writers have to navigate in a changing ethical landscape and bring about storytelling with sensitivity, legality and respect for victims and their families.

Regardless of whether this case becomes the next podcast phenomenon, one thing is clear – our cultural fixation on true crimes shows no signs of slowing down.

Erin Patterson's murder process continues in the Latrobe Valley dishes in Morwell.