Tell Me What You Did

Published in 2025, Tell Me What You Did explores the ethics of true crime media through protagonist Poe Webb’s job as the host of the eponymous true crime podcast. True crime is a genre that depicts the details of real-life crimes, most often violent crimes like assault and murder. Though true crime media has existed since the 16th century, the genre experienced a resurgence of popularity in 2010 through the rise of true crime podcasts like Serial, which investigated the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee. Nowadays, true crime is a multimillion-dollar industry, with podcasts and TV shows among the most popular formats.

Despite its popularity, true crime has also been the subject of heavy criticism. Critics of the genre have argued that it exploits victims and their families, sensationalizing their trauma for entertainment. Focusing attention on violent criminals risks glorifying their actions at the expense of those affected. Publicizing crimes can also lead to privacy concerns for living victims, as public attention directed toward their personal lives can lead to harassment or revictimization. Some critics have also raised concerns about vigilantism—since the resurgence of the genre, there have been several cases of the public misidentifying a perpetrator, sometimes leading to serious consequences for the falsely accused individual.