True Crime Podcast Prioritizes Victim Dignity Over Sensational Content

True Crime Cases You Haven't Heard applies strict ethical standards to coverage, showing victims as complete human beings rather than tragedy statistics.

WAKE FOREST, NC, UNITED STATES, January 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- True crime content faces persistent criticism for exploiting victims and trauma for entertainment value. One podcast is attempting to demonstrate that the genre can operate differently.

True Crime Cases You Haven't Heard has built its production around what host Steve Rhode calls the "Family Test"—a standard applied to every editorial decision.

"Before we include any detail, we ask: would the victim's family approve of how we're presenting this?" Rhode said. "If the answer is no, it doesn't make the episode."

The approach shapes coverage in specific ways. Victims are shown as complete human beings with lives, relationships, and aspirations—not reduced to the circumstances of their deaths. Violence is described when necessary for understanding but never glorified or presented for shock value. Graphic details serve educational purposes or they're omitted entirely.

The podcast also maintains clear distinctions between verified facts and speculation. All claims are attributed to court documents and official records, with gaps in the record acknowledged rather than filled with assumption.

"True crime has earned its reputation for exploitation," Rhode said. "We're trying to prove the genre can serve educational purposes while treating people with dignity."

Rhode brings 30 years of investigative journalism experience to the podcast, along with emergency services background that includes work as a police dispatcher and search and rescue pilot. His career began in hospital morgues, providing direct exposure to death and trauma that informs his approach to covering violent crime.

True Crime Cases You Haven't Heard focuses on overlooked federal criminal cases, building each episode from FBI affidavits, indictments, and court filings. New episodes release regularly on all major podcast platforms.

The complete episode archive is available at TrueCrimeUnheard.com/episodes/.

Steve Rhode
True Crime Cases You Haven't Heard
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