“Was Justice Served?” – the true crime podcast with a historical twist

Connecting the past with the present is Findmypast’s mission. So they tasked us with launching a historical true crime podcast, Was Justice Served? fronted by historian David Olusoga

As well as driving awareness and downloads, the campaign was designed to promote the amazing archive of historic newspapers hosted by the family history website.

Throughout the podcast, listeners encounter cases filled with twists and turns. In the debut episode David shares the gripping tale of his ancestor involved in a murder in Victorian Newcastle.

Unlike typical true crime podcasts, Was Justice Served? then invites listeners to join the jury by downloading historical news articles and records from Findmypast to form their own conclusions.

We packaged the launch with research into Brits’ emotions towards having a criminal ancestor in their family while criminologist and podcast co-host David Wilson also discussed the findings and personal experiences with ancestry crimes.

Top-tier national interviews with The Observer, Times Radio, and BBC Radio 4 followed, along with over 30 BBC regional stations, reaching a vast audience of potential listeners and driving 21,600 downloads and 4,345 YouTube views in the first six weeks.

To listen, download Was Justice Served? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform.

And if you want to create your own podcast, get in touch.