The Ethics of True Crime - A Conversation with Journalist Philip Eil

True crime is an extraordinarily popular – and profitable – genre. There is seemingly no limit to the number of books, shows, podcasts, films, and magazine articles created about real-life nightmares.

But because it deals with actual tragedies, involving actual people, the genre is also fraught with moral complexity. Is there a way to tell these stories without being exploitative? And should audiences take any responsibility for the content they consume?

In this talk, Providence-based journalist and author Philip Eil will discuss the decade he spent reporting on a man convicted of prescription drug-dealing – a process which turned into his acclaimed 2024 book Prescription for Pain: How a Once-Promising Doctor Became the “Pill Mill Killer.” And, drawing on his years spent teaching a class on true crime at RISD, he will speak about the genre more broadly.

Among the questions we will answer:

What separates ethical true crime storytelling from sleazy or dehumanizing stories?
Do true crime stories help or harm our society?
What explains the enduring appeal of true crime?
Should we feel guilty about enjoying these stories so much?

Mosaic | Website | View More Events