In today’s complex media landscape, how can audiences turn the equation inside out, break the third wall, and become part of the story?
As a media strategist that has spent my career thinking about – and bringing to life – the social impact potential of storytelling, I am fascinated by the HBO documentary The Case Against Adnan Syed. The four-part documentary series, directed by Amy Berg, builds upon the 2014 ‘Serial’ podcast about the heart-wrenchingly mysterious murder of Hae Min Lee, and the conviction of her 17-year-old ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed.
Why is this documentary series so fascinating? Because it never would have been made had it not been for: 1) The Serial podcast, which was downloaded a whopping 175 million times; and 2) the podcast’s audience.
People were so moved by the 2014 podcast that it rippled out into heated debates on Reddit, op-eds by legal experts, and, most importantly, new evidence in support of Adnan’s case.
After hearing the podcast, Adnan’s only alibi witness, Asia McClain, realized the prosecution had manipulated her story and had inadvertently blocked from her testifying in court. McClain immediately contacted Adnan’s attorney to see if there was anything she could do.
Given that this happened after the podcast aired on NPR, most Serial listeners were entirely unaware of this development—until the HBO documentary brought it to light.
That brings me to my next point of fascination: The podcast – and its audience – are characters in the documentary series. Serial is referenced dozens of times throughout the documentary, both by the narrators and by the film subjects. The film not only features screenshots of audiences’ online conversations surrounding the podcast, it also features letters submitted to the defense by audience members after the podcast release. Former classmates of Adnan and Hae are also in the film, sharing candid perspectives on what it was like to hear this story, and witness it go viral, 15 years after the incident – further reanimating the story and bringing it to a totally new dimension.
The people formerly known as the audience have now become a critical part of the story, bringing a mindblowingly meta quality to the overall narrative.
The Case Against Adnan Syed, then, is not really a documentary that picks up where ‘Serial’ left off. It is the result of a cultural phenomenon of a podcast with a highly engaged audience, giving new meaning to a concept people in the social impact film industry used to call “transmedia”.
What should we make of all this? It’s a reminder that we are living in an incredibly powerful media moment. The traditional barriers between media, mediamaker, and media consumer are obsolete. The Case Against Adnan Syed shows us that today’s audiences have the tools (and the savvy) to not just be a part of the story … but to influence it.
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