The Impact of Serial Killers and the Media on Public Perception

The Tool song Vicarious pretty much sums up the relationships between serial killers and the media. The media understands:

I first realized the power of fear is an incredible tool to control the population when I woke up on 9/11/2001 to hear about the World Trade Center. The whole nation was entranced and terrified as it was broadcast over and over again to where if you close your eyes I bet you can picture the plane crashing into the tower.

Then they used the tragedy to implement the Patriot Act which gave them free reign to spy on everyone, everywhere, without any real restrictions. How's this all pertain to serial killers you might ask?

Well the media loves serial killers cause they can use them to cause the same fear on a localized level.

What impact do serial killers and the media have on society?

Serial killers impacts on society have changed over the years. When Jack the Ripper was terrorizing London, the fledgling print media industry used his terror to sell publications. Then the radio was invented and the media started using auditory story telling like This is Your FBI and Official Detective.

By the 1970 almost 95.5% of U.S. households had a TV, just in time for the Golden Age of Serial Killers.

You have to remember the 60s were a time of free love where millions of teenagers would "Turn on, tune in, and drop out." People were smoking weed, doing acid, and hitchhiking across the country putting unsuspecting victims in the presence of serial killers like the Boston Strangler and the Manson Family.

Sensationalizing serial killers was a great way to scare scare innocent people into living a more "wholesome" life. It taught people to be weary of strangers and taught them to be more alert of their surroundings.

This worked for nearly three decades, but after a while everyone gets desensitized when they hear about coeds and young women becoming victims of serial killers.

The media needed to up their game. They needed to find a new breed of killers and victims... and they did. The 90s brought us famous murderers like Timothy McVeigh and The Unabomber who were shockingly evil, but these terrorists paled to what would happen next.

It was 4/20 of 1999, a day when most degenerates are getting high as a mothafucka, but Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold decide to go to Colombine High School and unleash their violence on 34 people.

This extremely wicked act put an end to the Golden Age of Serial Killing and made school shooters the new celebrities of the criminal world. the media and government started using these crimes to seek more gun control and start treating schools like prisons.

Sure there are still plenty of serial killers in the real world, but with all the mass shootings and 9/11 even the most infamous monsters like Jeffrey Dahmer and Ed Gein would have difficulty standing out compared to flying a fucking plane into a building.

Whether these serial killers had poorly treated mental illnesses, were victims of abuse, or just downright evil killing machines is something that still drives the fascination of true crime fans.

How are serial killers represented in the media?

The media and specifically true crime are not bound to tell the truth, even though we should. Most media are for-profit institutions and make most of their profit from selling advertising space.

Whether it's films, print, TikTok or YouTube videos, or even this blog (I try not to exaggerate too much but this is storytelling), we seek to tell a story that folks want to hear. Telling the story of Ted Bundy or the Menendez brothers without building sympathy for the killers would be so much less fun.

Including their humanity and their suffering builds empathy for the troubled souls, then you gradually tear it away by exposing the horrible violence, torture, and lack of remorse the infamous serial killers show.

As humans, we have a perverse fascination with vile behavior. The emotions of fear or pain and pleasure tend to release similar chemicals in the body and we crave it. It can bond us together. That's why 62% of women have rape fantasies despite the fact that many women who have experienced rape feel like victims.

Combine all this and it's only natural for the true crime media to play the dangerous game of trying to get their audience to have a sense of empathy, remorse, and pity for these extremely wicked murderers.

Some people think we should stop glorifying serial killers, but it's a far more complex subject than that. Find out why.

Why do serial killers correspond with the media?

It's important to understand that serial killers are similar to alcoholics or addicts in their behavioral patterns. Serial killers like the Zodiac Killer or BTK often write the media because it helps maintain their high. Their horrendous acts getting published can provide stimulation in the form of:

• Attention and Recognition: More people know them and it gives them a sense of power. For instance, BTK used the fear to sell security systems. I'm sure he got a perverse sense of pleasure knowing that potential victims invited him into their home to keep him out.

• Controlling The Narrative: Every story that is ever told has someone who tells it. I prefer to tell my own story. Wouldn't you prefer to tell yours than have someone else do it?

• Thrill Of The Chase: I'd imagine teasing the police and getting the public involved in a good "whodunnit?" would be quite fun for someone who is confident they covered their tracks.

What antisocial personality disorder makes serial killers more likely to contact the media?

Narcissism is the antisocial personality disorder that makes dangerous serial killers more likely to contact the media. They're so vain they think this blog is about them (Yes I snuck another song lyric into this blog cause I like music).

Narcissism is actually called narcissistic personality disorder and is characterized by delusions of grandeur, a desire for complete adoration, and a lack of empathy for others. Those characteristics make for a great relationship with the media because many of them share a similar psychology.

Serial Killers & The Media FAQ

Do all serial killers interact with the media?

No. Most serial killers do not seek out interaction with the media, but some get quite a thrill out of it. I suspect that no one got more of a thrill from it than Rodney Alcala who went on the game show The Dating Game to try to find his next victim. Check out his story in Netflix movie Woman of the Hour.

What Ethical concerns come from sensationalizing serial killers?

There are a variety of ethical concerns that the media faces when creating content that drives viewers and feeds their obsession. Some ethical considerations include:

• Amount Of Information To Share: The media doesn't want to give too much information because it can lead to a rise in fake reports and copycat killers. It might also mean the government have to pay when people provide information leading to the arrest of criminals like Luigi Mangione.

• Will It Build Notoriety? Sometimes it's better not to give into the serial killers desires. While it is sure to drive viewers, you might be able to reduce the number of victims by not glorify the killer.

• Does it fit their agenda? The media doesn't care if you are inspired or fascinated beyond the point it fits their agenda. They went on about Luigi when he killed a CEO until they realized that families around the country were hoping that he would kill more psychopaths at the top of corporate America. As soon as they realized viewers were cheering him on, silence.

Closing

We've discussed the roles of serial killers in society and the media with a focus on how their roles have evolved as society and media evolves. Then we discussed how the media portrays serial killers in movies, podcasts, and blogs.

We also discussed why some serial killers interact with the media and ethical concerns about creating a mystery and allure around murderers in true crime.

Just in case anyone get the impression that killing is a great way to become famous, I feel the need to remind you that many locations have Son of Sam laws that prevent you from profiting from your crimes.

For everyone else, we have a ton of other true crime information. You can explore serial killers crimes and their psychology, play true crime trivia, or buy some Murder Meme Coin.