A morte como infotenimento: uma análise dos principais podcasts de true crime do Brasil

Abstract

This research presents a study on the characteristics of the most listened to true crime podcasts currently in Brazil on the audio platform Spotify. The research objects used were the productions Modus Operandi, Quinta Misteriosa, A Mulher da Casa Abandonada, Café com Crime and Colecionador de Ossos. The work, based on the rise of true crime and the phenomenon of podcasts in this genre, particularly in the Brazilian market, is divided into five parts. The first part seeks to understand the evolution of the true crime genre, an infotainment phenomenon originating from literature to current podcast productions. The second chapter reflects on the podcasting phenomenon and the main characteristics and formats of podcasts. The third topic details the methodological approach that was subsequently applied to identify and systematize the characteristics of the most listened to Brazilian true crime podcasts. The fourth chapter presents an analysis of the first three episodes published in May 2023 by four out of the five initially defined productions. For A Mulher da Casa Abandonada, due to its specific format, its first three episodes were selected. Lastly, in the fifth chapter, we present the results of our analysis. Firstly, we conducted an individual analysis of each of the five podcasts. Finally, we compared the data, highlighting the similarities and differences found. In summary, we observed that Brazilian true crime podcasts stand out for their usual approach, predominantly focusing on murder-related themes. It is also notable that there is a lack of in depth exploration of the cases, which is compounded by time constraints and the absence of interviews, common gaps in these programs.