On True Crime Reports, context is everything. From history to geopolitics, the show breaks down the society and culture in which crime happens. This video podcast has also made history as the first true crime show from a major news organization to focus on underreported stories from the Global South, and for its responsible use of AI to support visual storytelling.
The show has reached over 9 million views and sparked significant public engagement. Our episodes demonstrate that globally focused true crime stories can achieve both significant reach and real-world impact.
The series uses individual cases as entry points into examining complex global events and systemic failures. The show is structured around specific investigations, each rooted in a single story, but examined as part of a larger pattern involving power and impunity. These cases span war crimes, civilian targeting, exploitation, and institutional neglect.
We set out to create compelling narratives that also serve as a durable public record. Ultimately, the objective of True Crime Reports is impact. We aim to tell true crime stories that interrogate systems, preserve memory, and reopen conversations once considered closed.
Producing True Crime Reports required a carefully crafted approach that balanced investigative depth, digital innovation, and ethical storytelling.
Accuracy and cultural context were central to the reporting process. We worked closely with regional journalists, legal professionals, and community voices to ensure that each story was told with precision and sensitivity. Their contributions shaped both the substance and framing of the narratives to avoid sensationalism.
Our story-shaping relied heavily on analysis of archival media, local reporting, court and government records, firsthand testimonies, and expert interviews. Each episode underwent extensive fact-checking and legal review.
True Crime Reports continues to distinguish itself through the responsible integration of AI-supported visual storytelling. AI-assisted software was used selectively to help visualize complex evidence and historical material when archival assets were limited or unavailable. All visual elements generated with the help of AI were derived from verified source material and underwent fact-checking and human review.
Sound design remains a foundational element of the series. The show is defined by its original theme song and music tracks, along with archival audio, creating an immersive experience that reflects the tension and intrigue of a gripping mystery.
The project was produced by an international team working across multiple countries and time zones. Coordinating journalists, video editors, illustrators, animators, fact-checkers, legal analysts, and one sound designer required endless Zoom calls, whether small talk, and complex workflows. But this global team enabled us to approach cases from diverse perspectives and incorporate insights from non-Western perspectives.
True Crime Reports has reached millions of viewers and sparked significant public engagement. Our episodes demonstrate that globally focused true crime stories can achieve both significant reach and real-world impact.
The episode “The Human Hunters of Sarajevo,” published in June 2025, became the most widely consumed episode of the season, surpassing one million views on YouTube. The investigation examined allegations that foreign tourists traveled to Sarajevo during the Bosnian War to shoot civilians for sport. These claims had circulated for years without sustained scrutiny. Following the episode’s release, the story gained renewed international attention. As of late 2025, Italian prosecutors in Milan have launched a formal investigation into allegations that Italian citizens participated in "sniper tourism" during the Siege of Sarajevo.
True Crime Reports met its objectives by expanding whose stories are told within the genre. This season reaffirmed that true crime can drive public awareness, spark conversations, and contribute to meaningful change.
