18/09/2025

Alfonso Méndiz, a full professor of Audiovisual Communication at the University, analyses the true crime genre in an article for The Conversation

Alfonso Méndiz, a full professor of Audiovisual Communication and Advertising at UIC Barcelona, analysed the true crime genre in the article “Cuando es el lobo quien narra el cuento: la perspectiva del asesino en el true crime” (When it’s the wolf who tells the story: the killer’s perspective in true crime), an informative publication co-authored with Marta Sánchez Esparza, journalist and lecturer at Rey Juan Carlos University

“To what extent do the narrator's voice and eyes alter perception in true crime stories?” With this question, the authors analyse several recent hit series aired on streaming platforms and conventional television, with a focus on the role of the criminal in the account of events.

According to the authors of the article, “the opportunity for the accused to offer their own version affects the reconstruction of the story and the public image of the suspect or convict.” “Sometimes, this serves to foster empathy with their story, redeem someone falsely convicted in the eyes of the public or depict a story of rehabilitation,” they contend.

The article contains a host of examples: from the docuseries Rosa Peral’s Tapes, which interviews the killer whilst in prison, to Netflix's fictional series The Menendez Brothers, whose case was reopened following the series’ success.

More specifically, the article published in The Conversation divides true crime narrators into five categories: eyewitness, protagonist, informative, moralising and performative. Productions such as Serial (2014), Making a Murderer (2015) and The Staircase (2018) “subverted the order” of good and evil, explain the authors, lending prominence to the accused. “The perspective of the narrator questions the official narrative and ways in which criminals and justice are represented,” argue the researchers.

The full professor, former dean of the Faculty of Communication Sciences and current rector of UIC Barcelona, discusses the ethical implications of giving criminals a voice. “It can raise awareness about unjust convictions and systemic flaws but may also distort the truth and revictimise those affected,” indicate the experts. While this does increase the “emotional impact” of the stories, the authors insist that industry professionals should “avoid sensationalism and respect the dignity of the victims.”

Following its publication on the platform The Conversation, the article has amassed hundreds of visits, thus contributing to scientific dissemination and drawing attention to film and television. The rector of the University publishes a fortnightly analysis of the world of advertising and film on his professional blog. Click here to read it.