Rebekah Sebastian

Rebekah Sebastian is the host of DIE-alogue. Listen to her new series on consent now. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow DIE-alogue on Twitter here.

What makes DIE-alogue different from most crime shows?
When I started DIE-ALOGUE In 2019, the world certainly didn’t need another true crime podcast. Nobody was saying “Shoot, I ran out of true crime to listen to, if only there was one more!” But I did see a small opening for something different. There were so many amazing case focused shows that uncovered a new story each week, and there were constantly new investigative series being published as well. What I couldn’t find was anyone examining the genre itself. Like, why do all care so much about murder, and is it really about murder? I suspected that it wasn’t but I wanted to confirm this by talking to experts.

So my podcast idea became an interview format show where I bring on experts in crime, law, justice, advocacy, as well as creators - everyone from podcasters to journalists, authors and directors, and we would discuss true crime, both as a genre and specifically their work and POV within it. So listeners will hear about cases but in a completely different way, and from the people who understand the complexities and themes within the story even more than we - the biggest true crime DIE-HARDS do.  DIE-ALOGUE has little to no banter. We prefer to kill the small talk.

How has the show changed since it began?
I like to think it’s gotten better. As is the case with many independent podcasters, you can hear improvement in the audio quality from episode one to episode 120. That’s the technical answer. From an editorial standpoint, it’s just more polished. I have learned that not every word of an interview is gold and that crafting a conversation in post production is really important. I am still learning the best way to do this and I hope the show will continue to improve as I go, but many episodes are shorter than they used to be and I would argue that less can be more when it comes to interviews. 

I also pretty much changed my whole thesis and core belief for DIE-ALOGUE.  I used to always ask my guests WHY are we so fascinated by true crime? Somewhere along the way - around 80 episodes in (better late than never?) I realized it wasn’t interesting to keep asking that. It was the combination of a listener and a specific guest who actually helped liberate me from this question - Rebecca Lavoie, host of Crime Writers On. She basically was like “We just are and it’s ok and it doesn’t matter why.” This freed up a lot of my headspace and opened up new ways to explore true crime with my guests. That might not sound like a big deal, but it really was a pivot for me and the show. 

Then a listener from Australia tweeted something about my show and said (not exact quote)

“DIE-ALOGUE challenges true crime tropes  and discusses the ethics of engaging with the genre as content makers and consumers.” YES. She articulated better that I had been able to,exactly what I wanted the show to do. It was a great moment of clarity and I am using it as my springboard as I map out the show for  2022.

Why are you the perfect host for DIE-alogue?
Nothing about me is perfect but I think what makes me the right host for DIE-ALOGUE is my curiosity. I am endlessly curious and I have millions of questions. I love learning and I am humble. An interview podcast where you are mostly talking to experts isn’t great if you feel inadequate or are easily intimidated. I have been nervous for sure but I try to let my genuine curiosity move the conversation.Elizabeth Gilbert wrote a book on creativity called “Big Magic-” which I highly recommend — and in it she says: “Follow your curiosity.” This has never led me wrong. It's a subtle but important twist on following your passion. Passion can easily fizzle or burn out or change. Our curiosity tells us so much about what we actually care about. I was curious about true crime as entertainment, but also wondered if it could be more than that. I was curious to learn if it could also be a vehicle we could use to move closer to dark, hard and scary things. So I found some people to ask about it and now two years later, here we are. The show has given me even more to wonder about, so there is no end really. If we pay attention to our curiosity, it’s infinite.

Your interview with Justine Van der Leun about Believe Her kind of blew my mind. How do you prep for your interviews to make sure you get a totally unique conversation?
(Justine is awesome!) If my guest wrote a book I read it. If they produced and hosted a podcast, I listen to it. If they directed a film, I watch it. That’s the easy and fun part. I try to avoid watching or listening to other interviews they’ve done, but I will read about them. I follow them on social media to get a sense of their style and voice. Are they serious and formal? Are they irreverent and bold? I don’t change who I am when I interview, but I certainly modify the tone of the interview. Then I think about what I hope we will cover in our conversation and try to sketch out an outline to accomplish that. And then the day of the interview (sometimes the night before) I regret all my life choices but mostly creating this podcast and feel like I am going to puke.Then I breathe and turn on the zoom and pretty much abandon my notes and try to stay present so the conversation can go where it needs to go. 

Is there a certain type of true-crime genre that does best for your show? What do people like to hear?
Cult stuff! I’d say cult history and stories are probably my favorite sub-genre of true crime and I think people can sense that enthusiasm because my audience get really excited when I do a series on cults, and I usually see a boost in listenership too. If you think about cults as a microcosm of true crime, all the same “meta” questions we are asking about the genre apply to cults: What warrants a cult? Are MLM’s cults? Is it ever ok to blame the victim? Are cult leaders all bad or do they have some redeeming qualities/good intentions? I could think and talk about this endlessly. I also enjoy white collar crime because nobody dies (usually) and it’s always nice when nobody dies.

Is there anything I didn’t ask you about that you want to say?
True Justice > True Crime

I’ve decided it’s ok to enjoy true crime as entertainment. I used to really struggle with that. But I hope that as the genre continues to expand and the content within it keeps improving, that we as consumers will think beyond the consumption experience and start to connect dots between the themes we find at the heart of most true crime stories and real life applications. It isn’t a requirement; people can just listen to podcasts and enjoy them, but for me, I want some of that time spent to be directed towards effecting change. Angry about wrongful convictions? Contact your local DA’s office and find out if they have a conviction integrity unit. Can’t stop thinking about that missing woman from the last doc you watched? There are amazing nonprofits who need funding to help provide support to families of the missing. Believe that a victim of domestic violence received too long a sentence for killing their partner in self-defense? Write the courts a letter on their behalf. What if our love for true crime stories could fuel a movement that advances true justice? 

Thanks, Rebekah!