Depictions and perceptions of gender, violence, and crime in true crime media

Koth, Zoe (2023) Depictions and perceptions of gender, violence, and crime in true crime media. Masters thesis, Northern Arizona University.

Text Koth_2023_depictions_perceptions_gender_violence_crime_true_crime_medi.pdf - Published Version Download (431kB)

Abstract

Public interest in true crime media (TV series, documentaries, podcasts, etc.) is a current standout of popular culture with 35% of Americans reporting engagement with true crime at least once per week. This thesis presents ethnographic research on depictions and presentations of crime through a lens of gender, race inequality, and sensationalism. My research questions were as follows: What language and themes do creators of true crime media use to talk about violence and crimes committed? How are these perceived? What attracts people to gender-based violence? Specifically violence committed against white women? How do creators and those with personal ties to true crime situate gender and race within the genre, created content, and the fan base? Data collection involved qualitative interviews with family and friends of true crime victims and true crime content creators, and analyzing true crime titles in popular media. I examine representations of gender, violence, and racial stereotypes in true crime, and how they exist in people's perspectives of the genre. My research draws on qualitative interviews and quantitative analysis to explore how content creators frame gender, the body, and violence in their created and consumed true crime media. Through interviewing creators and people who have personal experience with crime, I explore both the creators’ presentations and the observations made by those who are directly impacted by them. I use feminist theory to review and interpret depictions of gender in created and consumed true crime in both social and mainstream media. Ultimately I examine depictions of gender and violence as a mirror to reflect larger frameworks of fear, violence, race, and conceptions of the body, and how these ideas are disseminated throughout society as true crime continues to grow in popularity.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Publisher’s Statement:	© Copyright is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Cline Library, Northern Arizona University. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
Keywords:	Gender; True Crime; Violence; Television; Race
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GN Anthropology
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status:	Student
Department/Unit:	Graduate College > Theses and Dissertations College of Social and Behavioral Science > Anthropology
Date Deposited:	23 Jul 2026 22:09
Last Modified:	23 Jul 2026 22:09
URI:	https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/6304

Actions (login required)

IR Staff Record View

Downloads