In defense against those who say true-crime podcasts and TV shows are little more than morbid entertainment for the bored, some argue for a noble cause. That is, at the very least, such programming keeps cold cases in the public eye, educates people about the criminal justice system, or provides warning signs against the kinds of relationships that, sadly, end in death. 

As a forensic psychologist, Roberson has interviewed numerous people accused of murder. He doesn’t consume much true-crime entertainment, but said the genre may have some merit. 

“You can almost argue from an evolutionary standpoint that paying attention to dangerous situations and dangerous people is advantageous to survival,” Roberson said. 

Josh Dulaney

Josh Dulaney joined The Oklahoman in November 2016. Dulaney is a California Newspaper Publishers Association award winner for his writing. In both 2018 and 2019 he earned newspaper writer of the year honors from the Great Plains Journalism Awards.

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