New Investigative Practices
The Déjà-Boo team has been together for several years. What started out as something fun, something based on a shared belief in the paranormal and a desire to seek it out has slowly devolved into something we are no longer proud of. The want to find something real changed over time into a want to be seen by others as having found something real - to the point of fabricating evidence and crossing lines that shouldn’t have been crossed.
After much discussion and careful consideration, the team has decided that something has to change. We want Déjà-Boo to not just be entertaining, but something people can trust. For this reason, starting immediately, we will be implementing new investigating practices to our work to allow for full reliability and credibility. It is our responsibility to be truthful, ethical and considerate.
Going forward, we will not start an investigation until we have conducted thorough research into the location and its history. This means not relying on myths, urban legends or word of mouth as a factual source of information. When possible we will contact local historians, libraries and/or museums to learn the truth about supposedly haunted locations. If we cannot find enough information about a location, person, death or tragedy that could have resulted in a haunting, we will not investigate it. Additionally, we will ask permission from the owners before investigating on private property.
When on a hunt, we will be more clear about what tools and methods we are using and explain how they work in more detail. We will take caution to ensure that there is no interference or outside influence manipulating our devices. We will remain skeptical, and explore all possible explanations before we come to a definitive conclusion about hauntings or evidence of the paranormal.
Additionally, our merchandise shop is going to be getting an overhaul. We’ve realized some of the messages they convey are disrespectful and we are working to change and/or remove those items.
Overall, Francisco, Jessica, Grant and myself aim to be more transparent with our practices and vow to be honest with our findings. We want to be respectful towards the deceased people we talk about, their still living families and anyone else who may have been affected by the tragedies we discuss during investigations. And of course, we will certainly not be making anything up to make our show more exciting or entertaining. We will show you the reality of the job, no matter how boring or uneventful it may be. It is often taboo within the paranormal community to express any amount of skepticism. Recently I have found that reflecting upon the dozens of ghosts we’ve attempted to contact, we have found not a single conclusive piece of evidence to their existence. I think that approaching our work with a touch of skepticism will be good for us. It will allow us to think critically about the evidence we capture, and if the day comes where we encounter something truly otherworldly, it will make that experience all the more special.
Thank you all for being understanding of these changes. We apologize for our past actions, and we hope we will be able to earn back the trust of anyone who has been hurt by them. The goal of Déjà-Boo should always have been to provide factual, honest evidence of ghosts and the supernatural first, and not deceitful and disrespectful depictions of those who’ve passed on for the sake of entertainment.
- Ethan