About

My name is Briana Collins. I’m a journalist, a TV news anchor, a writer, a dog mom, a lover of true crime, and a graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. I have been a professional journalist for the past eight years. I’ve written for magazines and worked at two different TV stations. My career has taken me all over my home state of Illinois.

When I moved to Champaign, Illinois for work in 2018, I decided to pursue my Master’s of Science in Journalism at the U of I.

All the students in that program had to complete a master’s project. I wanted to create something to add to my portfolio. I have loved true crime for as long as I can remember. As an avid listener of true-crime podcasts, I always wanted to create my own. So, True Crime in Color was born. It's a true-crime podcast featuring stories of victims of color in Illinois.

On many of the true-crime podcasts I listen to, victims of color are not the focus. On the news, their stories don’t always get as much attention as their white counterparts.

That's why True Crime in Color is so important.

One of the first crime cases that stuck with me as a child was the disappearance of sisters Tionda and Diamond Bradley in Chicago in 2001. I remember sitting on the floor of my parent’s Chicago home, watching the news as family members searched for girls around my age who went missing just minutes from where I lived. That story will be featured on the podcast.

It has been a challenge learning to edit and put together a podcast by myself, and I'm still learning, but it's a labor of love.

Please listen, rate, subscribe, and leave me feedback.

You can also send me an email at contact@truecrimeincolorpod.com with any stories you'd like me to cover.