As true crime media has exploded in the last several years, producers, especially podcasters, have used the medium to go beyond entertainment to teach, mobilized, and advocate for criminal justice reform throughout the US and the world. But with the increase in popularity, we must also have increased awareness of how to consume it responsibly.
#truecrime
Lindsey A. Sherrill (Phd, The University of Alabama; BS, MBA, University of Montevallo) is an Assistant Professor of Business Communication at the University of North Alabama. Before academia, Lindsey spent ten years in the wholesale nursery business in Alabama and Georgia and three years covering sports and local events for the Atmore Advance, a small town paper in south Alabama. Lindsey has always been fascinated with true crime and has translated that fandom to research, including her dissertation, which won the 2020 University of Alabama Communication & Information Sciences Outstanding Dissertation award. Her research in true crime media as well as journalism and political communication has been presented at multiple national and international conferences, and has been published in notable outlets such Journalism Practice, Communication Theory, Journal of Communication, Journal of Broadcast & Electronic Media, and Mass Communication and Society. Lindsey is the author of a forthcoming book on true crime, podcasting, and criminal justice reform entitled Suddenly the Podcast was Sexy: Growth, Entertainment, and Advocacy in True Crime Podcasting (Lexington Books). She splits her time between Florence, AL and New Orleans, LA, along with her road trip buddy, Freddie Mercury, a 13-year-old Portuguese Pointer. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx