[mkwarman]

I don't mind it as much in true crime podcasts when it's done well. Totally agree that the generic "it was a peaceful town where nobody locked their doors blah blah blah" can get old quickly. But hearing about the unique lives of the victims in murder cases can definitely add to the story. And in podcasts more focused on the investigative side (ex. Someone Knows Something) knowing the background info can even be critical to solving the puzzle so to speak.

[gadabout]

Agree, also podcasts in that genre are often more about "story telling" (which requires - dun duh dun - backstory), but articles do not.

I do not mind 5 minutes of backstory on a 60 minute podcast. I do mind 2 minutes of backstory on a 5 minute read.