S-Town Response

The investigative journalism podcast S-Town reveals the tragic life of John B. McLemore. He is a victim of the podcast that he developed. His deepest secrets are revealed, which make for a great story for the podcast, which comes at McLemore’s personal expense.

When the story begins to shift from the fictional murder, McLemore’s own mysteries are revealed. This is where the ethical issues arise. While McLemore was the one who came forward with a false allegation and with the idea to investigate into this supposed murder, it is his life that becomes the topic of investigation. McLemore’s life is what the reporters, such as Brian Reed, eventually capitalized on. McLemore lost everything he had, including his life, for the success of the podcast. The ethical questions that should be discussed along with the podcast are: in revealing his most intimate details to Reed, was McLemore consenting to sharing those in the podcast? Another question that should be raised is did Reed exploit McLemore for ratings; and, is Reed at fault for McLemore’s suicide, is there his blood on Reed’s hands?

The ethical dilemma surrounding S-Town is, in a generalized notion, that McLemore’s most intimate details are laid out for the public’s entertainment. Investigative journalism is known to have its casualties, but the issue lies in that Reed knew that McLemore was mentally ill when McLemore consented to the taping of their conversations. The question is whether Reed, through the narrative, memorialized McLemore’s life or if it would have caused him more pain and suffering?

The invasiveness of S-Town is a commentary on societal misconceptions. Listening to the podcast’s descriptions, opens the gate for listeners to construct stereotypes, misperceptions and to place judgment on the podcast’s characters. Since, a podcast is not visual, the listeners depend highly on their imaginations and build these characters in their heads. They generate perceptions based on the information given, which often is subjective and different from the reality. In the case of S-Town, the information is often subjective and hyperbolic, because the story is meant to be just that, a good story.