MDR series “exactly” on the topic: True Crime – The business of murder

“If you only give facts and figures, people simply don’t watch,” explains Constanze Jacob. She is a reporter for the MDR program “Kripo live”. “exactly” accompanies a day of filming for a program that reports on a sexual assault on a young woman in Magdeburg. During filming, Constanze Jacob is faced with many ethical and moral questions. “Kripo live” relies on the chances of true crime to potentially solve a crime.

But not all true crime formats are about solving crimes. Reporter Daniel Tautz attends a huge live show by the podcast duo “Weird Crimes”. The two presenters discuss the case of the Bhagwan movement and the actions of Ma Anand Sheela. They bring the perpetrator from back then live on stage. The report shows how the audience reacts.

A common criticism of true crime formats is that they promote a cult of perpetrators. And the more unbelievable a case is, the greater the chances that it will be told over and over again. The mysterious disappearance of 28-year-old Lars Mittank during his holiday in Bulgaria has provided material for true crime formats for ten years. The private investigator, who is still looking for Lars Mittank today, says of the podcasts: “Ten percent are well done, the rest is bad.” His criticism: Most formats do not make contact with the relatives.

The editors of “Zeit Verbrechen” tried to take a different approach. “How could I do a story about the murder of a 15-year-old girl if I didn’t talk to the girl’s living relatives?” asks editor-in-chief Daniel Müller. “Then I won’t do the story.”

Daniel Tautz’s report shows how critical the phenomenon of true crime formats is and what crime victims and their relatives demand.

The film will be broadcast on MDR television on September 25, 2024 at 9:15 p.m.