Americans become judge and jury in true crime TV obsession

An article on Reuters about the popularity of long, complex documentaries like “Making a Murderer” and “The Jinx,” and the radio podcast “Serial,” which are adding a realistic twist on TV crime staples and creating heated debate about the shortcomings of the U.S. judicial system, quoted David Schmid, UB associate professor of English. “What we’re seeing in this batch of shows is the idea that true crime can have some kind of social utility,” he said. “I think these shows are tapping into our culture’s widespread sense that our justice system, if not broken, is definitely in trouble.” The article appeared on England’s Daily Mail.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/television-truecrime-idUSL1N14S1GM20160112

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3396000/Americans-judge-jury-true-crime-TV-obsession.html