The fictional horror podcast from Pacific Northwest Stories that follows a journalist investigating the paranormal is The Black Tapes.
The series was created by Paul Bae and Terry Miles and uses a pseudo-documentary format. Alex Reagan, the in-universe journalist and host, investigates the work of Dr. Richard Strand, a paranormal investigator who describes himself as an “evangelical skeptic.” Strand attempts to debunk supernatural claims, but his unsolved cases are recorded on the mysterious black tapes that give the podcast its title.
The show deliberately presents its fictional events as if they were legitimate investigative reporting. That approach connects it to Pacific Northwest Stories’ shared fictional universe, which also includes Tanis and Rabbits. The realistic framing is a common source of confusion: The Black Tapes is not a factual paranormal investigation series.
The podcast premiered on May 21, 2015, and is listed as having three seasons and 30 episodes. Its original run ended in 2017, although later announcements suggested a possible continuation. The story’s unresolved supernatural mythology became one of its defining features.