True crime

True crime is a genre of non-fiction work in which an author examines a crime, including detailing the actions of people associated with and affected by the crime, and investigating the perpetrator's motives. They most commonly document violent crimes such as murders and serial killers, including high-profile cases (such as Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, and the Zodiac Killer), and lesser-known cases that an author wishes to highlight. A true crime work may use either a journalistic style with a focus on known facts, or a speculative style with a larger focus on the author's personal conclusions regarding a crime. True crime has taken the form of various media, including literature such as magazines and books, television series and documentaries (which may sometimes feature dramatized scenes of the crime based on published accounts), and digital media such as podcasts and internet video. A true crime series may be structured as an anthology of stories focusing on different cases, or cover a single case in a serialized format. True crime podcasts experienced a major growth in popularity in the mid-2010s, with Serial setting listenership records, and the genre as a whole having seen long-term gains in overall listenership. True crime works have been particularly popular among women.