Method
How we review true-crime podcasts
We publish our method so you can see how episode reviews are written — and what we refuse to do.
We listen to full episodes before writing. We take notes on what case is covered, which sources appear, whether the narration adds context beyond headlines, and whether sensitive material is handled responsibly.
We compare claims to public record where possible — court documents, CNA, Straits Times, parliamentary records. We are not investigators; when we cannot verify, we say so.
Listen fully
No review from a trailer or partial skip. The episode must be heard beginning to end at least once.
Check the record
Dates, charges, outcomes, and gag orders cross-checked against news archives and court reporting.
Write for the reader
What is the case, what does this episode add, who should listen, what are the limits — stated in plain sentences.
What we look for
Accuracy — Does the episode misstate charges, dates, or outcomes? Minor slips happen; patterns matter.
Context — Does the listener learn why the case mattered beyond the crime itself?
Sources — Are reporters and documents identified? Is speculation labelled as such?
Restraint — Is distress treated seriously, especially in child and family cases?
Utility — After listening, do you understand the case better than from a headline alone?
Fit — Who is this episode for, and who should skip it?
What we will not do
We attach no scores or star ratings. We publish no league tables of podcasts. We sell no advertising and use no affiliate links.
We do not invent episode titles, listener figures, or relationships with programme makers.
We do not add unverified gossip about people not charged in court.
We do not write about production technique — montage, pacing, sound design — unless it is the stated subject of a page.
Corrections: dated note on the page and e-mail to [email protected].
Second readers check that we have not added unverified allegations or sensationalised victims.
We decline to review episodes we have not heard in full.
Comparison rankings of other podcasts are refused — this site reviews SG Crime Story only.
PodcastMotion is independent of SG Crime Story, its makers and Spotify. The programme name identifies the work under review only. This site does not host or reproduce audio.
