As the true crime content space continues to grow, both in documentary and audio formats, top producers, filmmakers and network executives behind shows like “Quiet on Set,” “The Fall of Diddy” and “House of Hammer” joined Variety‘s Kate Aurthur, Emily Longeretta and Ethan Shanfeld for a special episode of Variety‘s “Variety Confidential” podcast. The voices you’ll hear spoke with the Variety team during the inaugural True Crime Summit, presented by Investigation Discovery, at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. As is true in journalism, stories can often take many years to report by building trust with sources.
Beth Karas, a legal analyst in the Investigation Discovery docuseries “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace,” says she’s covered trials for over 30 years. But I like the cases that aren’t as well known because it’s a new audience,” Karas says. Bros Discovery’s president of linear and streaming, describes the constant scramble for access: “Eighty different producers and filmmakers come to you with the same story.
They’re out there fighting 17 other production companies, other filmmakers, to get people to say yes.” “The Fall of Diddy” executive producer Mary Robertson adds: “Our goal and our obligation is to get it right. So it’s not to beat TMZ.” “Inside Edition” anchor Eva Pilgrim says that “you have to be the first person on the ground,” or else “next thing you know, these exclusives are snapped up under contracts and you don’t get it.” Building trust with sources is a different battle, and a much more sensitive one when it comes to communicating with victims of horrific crimes. Sometimes, the timing for victims may not be right, no matter how careful producers may approach them to go on the record.
You almost basically have to dumb down the conversation like you haven’t heard anything about this crime. You haven’t heard anything about this case.” Conversations about the ethics of true crime storytelling persist in the space, especially with critics who claim that the genre turns pain into product and entertainment. And I don’t think that’s true.” “The victims’ stories need to be told,” Morales says.
We do the job of journalists first.”
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