Picture of victum Hae Min Lee and convicted murderer Adnan Syed
foxbaltimore.com
Introduction
I have recently listened to episode one of the podcast, Serial, by Sarah Koenig. This podcast takes a dive into a murder case of a highschool student named Hae Min Lee. The convicted murderer being her ex boyfriend Adnan Syed. In this first episode, The Alibi, Koenig shows both Adnan’s and his bestfriend at the time Jay’s sides of the story. She also demonstrates with different interviews that memories on uneventful days can be extremely hard to recall.
I thouroughly enjoyed the podcast about Hae Min Lee’s murder and found it very intriging. The mystery of her disappearence and murder were facinatng to me because there were multiple different stories about what happened the day she was murdered, all of which relied on their memory of that day. I also enjoyed the way she talks, very informal and as if she’s having a normal conversation with someone. Koenig added in the voice recordings of interviews she’s done as well as interviews conducted in the past which helped to keep my attention throughout the the episode. Overall I though it was very interesting and intriging to listen to.
Photo from news report on the case
cbsnews.com
Formatting Investigative Journalism
The podcast formats investigative jornalism in a way I’ve never seen before. I think the idea of presenting investigative jornalism in the way Koenig does is very useful in catching the attention of different audiences. Younger listeners may find the story more interesting by the way she communicates the story. Koenig plays the recordings of interviews she’s conducted and interviews conducted in the past about the case. This helps me as a listener see the story different perspectives and hearing different voices helps to keep me interested. She also plays these interviews to prove her own statements whilst including others not involved in the case as extirior sources.
The more time that’s past since an experience, the less likely you are to recall all the details. It’s fairly easy to remember what you did a few hours ago. But recalling the same events a month or years later is considerably more difficult.
Staying Sharp
To read more about memory loss and short term memory loss go to here.
The Effects on the Family
Cases like this one that become publicaly known can often have negative effects on the family. I personally feel as though the podcast may effect the family in a negative way because as we see all the time on social media, when old cases are brought into the limelight, people around the world involve themselves. They create their own conspiracies about what could have happened. When the public learns about the sinister details of what happened, on some ocasions tehy seek to reopen the case to bring the victim justice. This can bring back old trauma for families that have moved past the cruel deaths of their loved ones.
Above is a photo of Hae Min Lee’s mother crying due to the death of her daughter
nypost.com
Listening vs Reading Text
I really enjoyed this podcast and I thought it was a breath of fresh air when compared to having to read text. I find listening to text makes it easier to comprehend and concentrate on the story being told. When reading I find it difficult to imagine the different voices and understand the information being given. One benefit to reading text rather than listening is reading improves concentration and your ability to focus. When listening to text it’s common for people to get distracted as there is no visual for them to follow along. Despite this I still prefer listening to text over reading it.
Click Here to watch a video debating reading vs listening to text
speechify.com
How Memory is the Difference Maker
If asked about a random day where nothing eventful happned I am unable to recall many events of the day. When asked about a day where something eventful did happen I can remeber most things throuhout the whole day. For example the day I won the world championships for kickboxing I can remember my whole morning routine and most things that happened later in the day and night as well. The fact we have trouble remembering days from the past brings up the concern that many of these people from the interviews from the case don’t remember exactly what happened the day Hae Mine Lee was murdered. This can lead to people giving false or inaccurate statements as well as information.
Works Cited
“6 Types of Normal Memory Lapses.” 6 Normal Memory Lapses and Why Not to Worry, AARP, https://stayingsharp.aarp.org/about/brain-health/normal-memory/.
Burnett, Ava-Joye. “Family of Hae Min Lee Contends Case against Adnan Syed Is Still Alive in Appeal.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 2022, https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/family-of-hae-min-lee-contends-case-against-adnan-syed-is-still-alive-in-appeal/.
Land, Olivia. “Hae Min Lee’s Family Demands Adnan Syed’s Murder Conviction Be Reinstated.” New York Post, New York Post, 3 Feb. 2023, https://nypost.com/2023/02/03/hae-min-lees-family-wants-adnan-syeds-murder-conviction-reinstated/.
Swift, Tim. “Frequently Asked Questions about the Long and Winding Case of Adnan Syed.” WBFF, WBFF, 12 Oct. 2022, https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/adnan-syed-serial-hae-min-lee-murder-frequently-asked-questions-about-the-long-and-winding-case-of-adnan-syed. Weitzman, Cliff. “Audiobook vs Reading: Which Is Better?” Speechify, 26 Jan. 2023, https://speechify.com/blog/audiobook-vs-reading/?landing_url=https%3A%2F%2Fspeechify.com%2Fblog%2Faudiobook-vs-reading%2F.
4U English 
Leave a comment