How New Media Changed the Narrative About White Boy Rick
Podcast |
The D Brief
Media Type |
audio
Podknife tags |
Detroit
Interview
Society & Culture
Categories Via RSS |
Arts
Entertainment News
News
Performing Arts
Publication Date |
Jul 20, 2021
Episode Duration |
00:27:27

Now free from prison, Detroit's infamous "White Boy Rick" is widely viewed as a victim of an overzealous criminal justice system and the FBI for whom he served as an informant. But that wasn't always the case. When he was sentenced to prison in 1988, Richard Wershe Jr. was incorrectly portrayed by the media as a drug kingpin.

Investigative reporter Scott Burnstein, a leading expert in organized crime, spent years researching and writing about Rick's plight. During that time, new forms of media launched, which made it possible for Scott to get Rick's real story out.

Scott wrote and produced the documentary film, "White Boy," which debuted at the Freep Film Festival in 2018. But it wasn't until the film premiered on Netflix during the pandemic that it brought international attention to the case. Scott joins Seth and Becky to talk about White Boy Rick and how new forms of media enabled the truth to come to light.

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