"My name is Stefano Nazzi, and I've been a journalist for many years. Throughout my career, I've covered many stories like this one – those that over time have become familiar to you and others that you might have never heard mentioned before". A refrain that has almost become a meme but cannot help but send a shiver down the spine of many fans of "Indagini," a podcast from Il Post that stands among the major successes in the Italian true crime scene.
"The stories like this" refer to more or less well-known Italian crime cases, from the Novi Ligure murder to that of Cogne, from Perugia to Brembate di Sopra. These cases are dissected and narrated with passion and journalistic rigor by a voice that never wavers. It naturally tends to create a certain form of addiction.
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
Now, Indagini is one of the most appreciated examples of 'mystery storytelling' in our country, ranking high in all listening charts. However, it's easy to notice how content related to crime news, cold cases, and serial killers is now everywhere, in a quantity never seen before, and it is mainly capturing the interest of the younger audience.
Crime docu-series are thriving, highly followed YouTube channels like Elisa True Crime, and TikTok videos from more or less improvised storyteller-detectives are gaining popularity. Our generation is hungry for true crime.
Some numbers: according to the Spotify Culture Next 2023 report, the passion for the true crime genre has significantly contributed to the success of podcasts among young people. Audio content that narrates crime stories or unsolved mysteries has a completion rate of over 80%, and compared to the previous report, listening to this category has increased by 133%.
In recent years, television channels dedicated to the genre have also multiplied, and books continuously churn out stories on every relevant case, present or past. Meanwhile, historical programs like 'Chi l’Ha Visto' or 'Un Giorno in Pretura' continue to be highly followed and commented on by many young people. But how do we explain this interest in true crime?
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
The possible reasons are diverse, starting with a generation raised amidst images and news of crime, inherently resulting in a more disillusioned outlook than previous ones, accustomed to violence. So much so that they accept it as a part of life, something to know and understand rather than distance themselves from. True crime thus offers both a respite from the real horrors of the world and a closer look inside.
According to some experts, this passion of Millennials and Gen Z for true crime shows that the younger generation is more willing to confront their fears and make sense of them. They look at killers to look within themselves. They seek to understand the origin of evil to know themselves better.
@spydossierplus #inchiesteitaliane #criminalminds #spydossier #topsecret #ungiornoinpretura ♬ suono originale - Top Secret
Furthermore, the internet and social media have provided true crime enthusiasts with a way to stay informed and a space to share ideas, tips, and participate in discussions about crime cases. If, in the past, the passion for true crime was a personal hobby, reserved for a niche of Sunday investigators, now any twenty-something can recite Pietro Pacciani's poetry by heart and has a theory about who the Monster of Florence might be, which they naturally want to share with others.
But don't worry, for science, there's nothing to be alarmed about: the allure of true crime is mostly harmless. With a disclaimer: like any infatuation, it has the potential to spiral out of control.
However, if your friend doesn't go out on Saturday night because it's the first of the month and they have to listen to 'Indagini', well, you might understand.
Illustration by Gloria Dozio - Acrimònia Studios
.jpg)