True crime books and magazines

[dudley_rush]

Is it morally wrong for people to read non-fiction books and magazines about murder cases, and for the authors and publishers to benefit financially from the misfortune of the victims?

[drchasuble]

I used to work in a bookshop and found that most true crime books (Krays, Fred West etc) were actually stolen and not sold. So I have always been a little worried about the people that read this sort of thing as they are commiting an offence to read a book about a greater offence.

[andy-hughes]

Interesting points from both previous Correspondenents.

In most cases, books are written from the point of view of scientific or ciminalogy perspectives, rather than any attempt to glorify the crimes, or criminals that commit them.

I would dispute that authors are benefiting from the misfortune of the victims - that accusation could be leveled in a vast number of circumstances.

For instance, are news journalists reporting on natural disasters benefiting by being paid to observe and comment on such events?

Are airlines benefitting, albeit indirectly, by flying aid to famine victims?

The list goes on.

I think you have to take a detatached perspective and view these books as theyr are intended - an attempt to analyse and explain, rather than entertain, although that must, by the nature of free speech be an unavoidable by-product.

[LeMarchand]

In response to Andy, I'd disagree that the books are analysis/explanation. Some of them are, but many more seem to be an excuse for people to vicariously get off on other people's crimes.

Also having worked in a bookshop, by far the greatest market seemed to be semi-illiterates who thought the Krays were cool, or who seemed to secretly enjoy reading about the sort of sickness that Fred West practised.

Another genre that bothers me is the "horribly abused child" one exemplified by "A Child Called It". Why do people read that sort of thing? I'm considering just making up a horrible, perverse tale about an abused child, making millions off the sales and then revealing that all the sickos who bought it had been suckered!