True Crime Podcasts in Australia: Examining Listening Patterns and Listener Perceptions

Abstract True crime podcasts (TCPs) are increasingly saturating the Australian media landscape. The most downloaded podcast in the country is the TCP, Casefile and overall true crime is a popular podcast genre. Despite this, there is limited Australian research exploring the perspectives of TCP listeners. Using data from a survey of 124 university students, this article identifies popular subject matter, listening patterns and stylistic attributes of TCPs. Additionally, listener motivations and perceptions are identified. This paper highlights the importance of critically examining Australian TCPs as contemporary sites of information and pleasure that the public may regard as authoritative resources on crime.