Do not underestimate Z: The new podcast for true crimes by Michigan High Schoolers

Berrien County, mi -these are not typical podcast hosts -but do not underestimate their skills.

A class of students on the Brandywine High School (Niles) in the southwest of Michigan started a podcast called “under estimate” as part of their investigative journalism class, which was taught by Podcaster Bob Ruff.

At the beginning of the year, Ruff said to the students: “Choose a kind of situation, something that is going on in the world that you can spend this whole school year.”

The students opted for true crime cases, said Ruff. So they threw the cases on the whiteboard, chose five for cover and the students divided into six groups due to cases.

The class produced 14 episodes, 20 to 30 minutes each.

The popularity of “underestimated” grew in a way that did not expect long after his publication.

The podcast has 4.9 of 5 ranking in Apple podcasts and 485 reviews, mainly five stars.

“There are literally millions of podcasts (true crime) out there,” said Ruff. “I would say that our podcast is on the top level.”

The students approached the process like a real journalistic undertaking. They submitted inquiries from the Freedom of Information Act to police authorities and spoke to the families of the victims.

“We have many family members of victims who were in constant contact with our students who very much appreciate the fact that … their loved ones will not be forgotten,” said Ruff.

Apart from the stories, the students were looking for notes in their community to finance expenses such as the FOIA costs.

There is a case in which students could have an influence – the unresolved case of Janette Roberson's murder. Roberson was found dead in the basement of the Reed City department store, where she worked in 1983.

The students were able to receive information from the case file that had been reduced by others in FOIA requests, said Ruff.

“We often contacted the detective and said:” Listen, this is something that was refused to everyone else who was asked about it. This is the purpose, so we want it, “said Ruff.

Senior Steffany Cruz worked in the Roberson Case Podcast. It helped Cruz to discover a new passion.

“Sometimes it is a little difficult to connect a crime or a case (until you can see) that this person was an actual person,” said Cruz. “You were a mother, you were a daughter, you were a sister.”

At the end of the examination, Roberson was more than a face on the whiteboard.

“When we interview people, we (Roberson) get to know a little more,” said Cruz. “You can see many of your personality traits in your own.”

What the podcast is called “underestimated” said Cruz that they wanted to counteract the stories that other people have about gen.

“People think we're lazy, we are mean,” said Cruz. “” Underestimated “is a podcast for young voices to show that we are underestimated and great.”

Ruff said he would do the same task next year, but enable students to focus more on the areas of the podcast production that they prefer.

“We can assign more jobs like:” Who wants to be a producer? Who wants to be a writer? Who wants to be an editor? “, Said Ruff.

Listen to the podcast here.