The Persuasion of True Crime
WRIT-381M-05
Binghamton University
- Semester
- Summer 2026
- Instructor
- Vanessa Jaeger
- Start Date
- 07-06-2026
- Total Credits
- 4
- Call to Register
- 607-777-6088
Take your class online with SUNY
You will learn the same curriculum as our on-campus students
Why are we so captivated by true crime? What rhetorical strategies make these stories feel urgent, emotional, and persuasive? In this course, we will explore the rhetorical power of true crime narratives—how writers, journalists, filmmakers, and podcasters use language, structure, evidence, and emotion to shape the stories they tell about real-life crimes. We’ll examine how arguments are built around guilt and innocence, how narratives create suspense or bias, and how issues of ethics, justice, identity, and truth play out in the genre. Through critical reading, rhetorical analysis, and original writing, students will learn how to dissect true crime narratives and question the effectiveness and ethics of these stories.
General Education Area(s): Basic Communication
Course Area: Communication Studies
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Dates: 07-06-2026 - 08-07-2026
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- Instructor: Vanessa Jaeger
- Local Course ID: 26SU_BIN_WRIT381M_05
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