| True crime is a vibrant strand of popular culture that has been long-established in media practices. While typically understood as a niche genre that satisfies the public’s appetite for sensationalism, true crime has demonstrated a consistent readiness to change media method, seamlessly navigating changes in both format and focus. This paper will examine the evolutionof media and true crime in tandem, starting in the sixteenth century and concluding with thetwenty-first century. I will trace the changes to mass communications technologies from each eraand connect them with high-profile crime cases that attracted journalistic attention. True crime,my examples show, is not a niche genre of media content. Its history has proven remarkably durable, evident through an ability to adapt to shifts and trends that emerge in media to shape culture.Key Words: true crime, history, popular culture, mass communications |