Killer Podcasts: The Obsession & Responsibility with True Crime

This session is part of the 3-day Podcast Creator Summit at Apple Austin. Check out the full list of events.

True crime podcasts have an unmatched ability to captivate audiences, drawing listeners into intricate, real-life mysteries. But behind every gripping narrative is a painstaking process — researching complex cases, navigating sensitive material, and honoring the voices of victims and communities affected by crime. As the genre continues to grow, so do the moral and philosophical questions surrounding it: Where is the line between storytelling and exploitation? How do creators balance audience engagement with ethical responsibility? This panel dives into the art and weight of true crime podcasting, exploring how these stories are built, the impact they have, and the evolving role of creators in an era of endless intrigue.

Join us for a free"Maker Mingle" reception following this Spotlight Panel — an informal meetup for panel attendees. Food and beverages will be served.

This is an in-person event and will not be livestreamed or recorded.

Skills: podcasting, storytelling, true crime, media ethics

About the Speakers

Stacy Bond (mod) is a U.S. Editor at Apple Podcasts, where she manages the True Crime and News category pages, as well as the Browse page on the app. Prior to joining Apple, she was a public radio journalist, both at NPR in Washington, DC, and at several member stations, including KQED in San Francisco. Stacy maintains an art practice, working with story, news, and narrative across multiple platforms, including sculpture and photography. She founded the storytelling pop-up series Joyride, LIVE in San Francisco, as well as the ongoing multi-disciplinary art event Artomatic in Washington, DC.

Kate Winkler Dawson is a seasoned documentary producer, podcaster, and true-crime historian whose work has appeared in The New York Times, WCBS News and ABC News Radio, PBS NewsHour, and Nightline. She is the creator of two hit podcasts: Tenfold More Wicked and Wicked Words, and the cohost of the Buried Bones podcast on the Exactly Right network. She is the author of American Sherlock, Death in the Air, All That Is Wicked, and The Sinners All Bow. She is a professor of journalism at The University of Texas at Austin.

Brian Standefer is the Director of Audio at Texas Monthly, producing, engineering and writing music for the magazine's podcasts. Past shows include Tom Brown’s Body, Boomtown, America’s Girls and Stephenville. He’s worked over the past 30 years both as a classically trained cellist and a touring and studio musician.

Tinu Thomas is a Community Podcast Producer at KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, where she works at the intersection of storytelling, sound, and community. She co-directed and hosted The Orange Tree, a critically acclaimed true crime podcast produced by The Drag Audio at the University of Texas. With a background in journalism and narrative audio, Tinu is passionate about building trust through storytelling and creating space for underrepresented voices to be heard and deeply felt.