The danger of misinformation in based on real events fiction: The Thing About Pam (or the thing about justifying the criminal)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5209/esmp.82841
Keywords: Fiction, based on real events, podcast, journalism, misinformation

Abstract

This article compares the NBC miniseries The Thing About Pam (2022) with the podcast on which it is based in order to decide if fiction can misinform the audience through the characterization of characters that are based on real people. The miniseries is a prime example of a recent trend: the production of fictions that are based on journalistic works and that tell the story about women that have committed a crime. After accomplishing a comparative and interpretative analysis about the series' main character characterization, we conclude that the fiction reinforces the features already set out by the podcast, but somehow justify the behavior of the main character with an explanation that has nothing to do with the podcast’s findings. This justification together with the use of the same narrator in both works may misinform the audience about a real story whose trial has not been held yet.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Lucía Gastón Lorente, Universidad de Navarra

Lucía Gastón-Lorente (Pamplona, 1993) estudió Periodismo y Filosofía en la Universidad de Navarra. Actualmente realiza el doctorado de Comunicación en la misma universidad gracias a una beca de la Asociación Amigos Universidad de Navarra. Su investigación se centra en los límites entre periodismo y ficción y en las oportunidades y riesgos que conlleva la proliferación de miniseries basadas en hechos reales. Además, da clases en las asignaturas de Comunicación Oral y Escrita y de Narrativa, Violencia y Memoria a alumnos de grado.

Beatriz Gómez-Baceiredo, Universidad de Navarra

Beatriz Gómez-Baceiredo (Vitoria-Gasteiz, 1977) estudió Periodismo y realizó el doctorado en la Universidad de Navarra. Es profesora de Comunicación Oral y Escrita y de Storytelling a alumnos de grado y posgrado. Actualmente investiga los límites del periodismo literario y la comunicación de cuidados paliativos en los medios de comunicación. Colabora con el proyecto Atlantes del Instituto de Cultura y Sociedad (ICS) y es la subdirectora del Departamento de Proyectos Periodísticos.

View citations

Article download

Crossmark

Metrics

Published
2022-12-21
How to Cite
Gastón Lorente L. y Gómez-Baceiredo B. (2022). The danger of misinformation in based on real events fiction: The Thing About Pam (or the thing about justifying the criminal). Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, 28(4), 817-826. https://doi.org/10.5209/esmp.82841
Issue
Vol. 28 No. 4 (2022): ¿Crisis de la mediación? Periodismo, política y ciudadanía ante la desinformación
Section
Studies

License

In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.