True Crime Fanatics- Do YOU Know the Ethical Eight?

True Crime Fans Have Their Own Guide

Recently, the National Center for Victims of Crime released an updated version of its media guide to help journalists and true crime content creators entitled "Creating Survivor-Centered Media." We at FACES are thrilled to see this excellent resource. But if you are true crime aficionado, fanatic, or just have an interest in consuming true crime content, did you know that there is a guide for you?

The National Center for Victims of Crime has a guide entitled "8 Simple Rules for Being an Ethical True Crime Consumer." This Guide, created in 2023, encourages people interested in true crime to do so ethically and to consume content that causes the least harm to victims and their families.

The "Ethical Eight" (in abridged form) includes the following:

1. There is NO victimless true crime.

2. There is NO timeline for trauma.

3. Investigate. Investigate. Investigate.

4. Require the presence of victims' voices.

5. Do no harm.

6. Respect Boundaries.

7. Don't fall victim to true crime.

8. Turn your interest into impact.

To fully understand each of these and to learn more, you can visit the guide at https://victimsofcrime.org/media-ethics-and-true-crime/

We believe that a safer, more trauma-informed digital environment is desperately needed for crime victims and their loved ones, and everyone- creators and consumers- can help create a community that achieves this goal by recognizing the issues and choosing to impact positive change.