What's your favourite scary movie? … If you see that phrase as more than just a question but also a
terrible way to start a phone call, you have probably watched at least one of the
Scream movies.
Ever since the first movie came out in
1996, it grew into a big franchise with a
massive cult following. The concept of every one of these films is a person
or persons wearing a big cloak and a
Ghostface mask, tormenting people over the phone and killing them in a classic
slasher movie kind of way.
In between all the blood, gore
and mystery, these films also provide a long list of lessons and tips that journalists can take with them to face the scary moments in the
world of journalism.
Alrika Möller from media update faced Ghostface to bring you some top journalism tips.
Be terrifyingly persistent and tenacious
One of the most
iconic journalists to ever be created for film is
Gale Weathers, played by none other than Courtney Cox. She is an
extremely committed and sometimes relentless journalist who will do anything
and everything for the story.
She literally never gives up.
You might think that
persistence is only essential to investigative journalists.
Yes, it is an important skill for them, but persistence is a skill that
every journalist needs.
Investigative journalists need to be
tenacious in their pursuit of the truth, but every other journalist needs to be persistent in their pursuit to find
worthwhile stories and finish the pieces they are stuck on.
Jumping to conclusions can be fatal
The original
Scream movie created the
foundation for every film that follows it — all because it relies on the concept that
nothing is as it seems.
The music builds as the character walks down a dark hallway, making all of us think the killer is going to
jump out of the shadows or be right behind them and just as the music reaches the horror movie peak …
nothing happens.
Another example is that
sometimes when someone dies, we are quick to find out that it is, in fact,
not the case.
As a
journalist, you have our permission to jump from jump scares, as long as you
never jump to conclusions. When you do, you might miss the
deeper truth in a story or the reason for someone's actions.
If you really want to write the best article or story you possibly can, you have to
reserve judgment and see where the story and the facts take you before you start writing. There is
always more to the story.
Don't fear the tech of the time
When the first
Scream film came out way back in 1996, its time was made obvious by the
fashion choices and the massive landline phones. In this film, our killer uses a tiny
retro-looking machine to change their voice.
Since then,
Scream has stayed up with the times, using caller ID at the beginning of the second one and focusing on web streaming as a major plot point for the 2011 instalment. In the fifth and sixth films, the killer — or killers (
wink, wink) — use an app on their phone to change their voice.
The
Scream movies aren't afraid of using the newest tech,
so why should you be? As a journalist, there are endless
ways you can use tech — whether it involves using AI programmes such as
Grammarly to help you edit your work or sites to help you brainstorm.
If you are really interested in keeping up with the times, you can
host a podcast as a way of journalism or share your articles with people on
social media. There are so many different ways that you can utilise technology to take your journalism to new heights.
Journalists can make use of technology in impactful ways, such as
broadcasting and streaming, as well as smaller ways — like different platforms and tools to connect with sources that are far away.
Don't trust anyone … sources included
As previously mentioned, Gale — Woodsboro's journalistic
rockstar — goes above and beyond for her stories. She
digs up extra evidence that even the police don't have.
Why? Because she needs to verify.
She and the other characters who are being hunted by the
infamous Ghostface killer do their own digging in trying to figure out who the person behind the mask is. They
check every source and never ever just take someone at their word.
This is good advice for hunting masked killers
and working as a journalist. No matter who the source is, the truth is that they have their own perception and motives that affect how they see a situation and how they tell you the story.
That said, you don't have to be as distrustful as Gale.
Trust but verify.
Mistakes are never the goal, but they can happen, and if you don't
double or triple-check your sources, you can get something as small as a date or as big as a person's name wrong.
That's never good!
Better safe than sorry. Gale knows what I'm talking about …
Trust your gut
Instincts come with
time and experience. The character of Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell, is one of (if not the main focus) of five out of the six films. The last two focus heavily on two sisters, Tara and Sam Carpenter, played by Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera respectively.
And Gale — well, she is a main character in every one of the
Scream movies.
If you are being hunted by a masked killer that often,
you will learn a thing or two. They learn from these experiences and develop some
great instincts that help them, later on, to fight
yet another masked killer in another film.
You are a
journalist for a reason. Your experiences as a journalist and in life developed some pretty great instincts.
Trust them!Your instincts will tell you if a story is
worth pursuing or if you are on the right track with your investigation. Your instincts will also let you know when a story is at its end or when an article needs a follow-up.
By trusting your journalistic instinct, you will also be able to
develop your voice as a writer or presenter.
Journalists, even if you forget every single moment of all six Scream movies … never forget Gale and the journalistic genius of the Scream films.
What movie moment taught you the most about journalism? Let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Canva **Image font courtesy of FontBolt