Investigative Journalists Sound Off on Streaming’s Influence at LM Live’s Season Debut

True crime stories have been all the rage across streaming platforms and podcasts over the last several years. On September 26, the Downtown Alliance hosted “Investigative Journalism in the Age of Streaming” with journalists Robert Kolker (“Lost Girls,” “Hidden Valley Road”) and Jessica Pressler (“The Hustlers at Scores,” “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People”), each of whom has had their investigative work developed into popular movies and TV series in recent years. The conversation centered on why these stories have become so popular and how they are impacting not just the field of journalism but popular culture at large. 

Both Kolker and Pressler agreed that the age of social media has widely contributed to the rise of the true crime genre. “Today, with social media, stories are no longer static, which makes them very appealing to content creators. Stories are alive in many different forms,” Pressler said. In fact, the popularity of this genre has even begun shaping editors’ choices at major publications, as they see the vast potential for feature stories being adapted into movies and TV shows. 

In terms of how these stories get made, Kolker credited his intensive research in giving “Hidden Valley Road” such a rich tapestry. “In my reporting, I resist salaciousness and my primary motivation is to understand my subject,” he said. “After seven months of talking to the family, I started to realize nobody had done this big sweeping family drama on mental illness before.”

The mechanics behind how an investigative piece of journalism becomes a movie or a TV show can be long and complicated, but sometimes you know when you have an idea that will break through. For instance, Pressler said her phone was ringing off the hook with producers wanting to develop her story on Anna Delvey. “Even my Uber driver in Los Angeles asked me if he could option it,” she said.

As for what will be the next piece of investigative journalism to become a watercooler sensation, it is anybody’s guess. But society’s unbreakable fascination with dark, intricate stories has given the streaming industry plenty of incentive to keep hoping they find the next hit.