I was reading an article on Poynter that rounded up April Fools' jokes in the media, including Google Nose, Gmail Blue, The Washington Post's tour of abandoned subway stations, YouTube shutting down, Twitter vowels costing extra, and etc.
Firstly, this led me to think about how long April Fools' jokes in the media has been going on. Obviously, the jokes could not be that extensive because Google, Twitter and YouTube did not always exist. The online world has expanded so much, that it has allowed for more creativity when it comes to things like April Fools' jokes. It's not just the traditional, satirical news story anymore.
Secondly, this led me to question whether publications should even partake in the holiday. Is that part of a journalist's job? This further led me to a post on Jim Romenesko's blog about previous mishaps in April Fools' editions of college newspapers, such as the Missouri Maneater, who called their April Fools' edition The Carpeteater (whoops), the Fordham University Ram headlining an article "Jesuits gone Jewish," and the Boston University Daily Free Press writing a "tasteless" article on Cinderella being caught up in a prostitution ring. All three of these publications didn't run April Fools' issues this year because of these previous editions that came off as offensive.
Outside of college newspapers, The Ontario (Wis.) County Line -- a 2,000 circulation weekly paper -- posted an annual April Fool's column last year about Disney buying a beloved state trail. This resulted in an extreme public uproar, where the public was planning protests, and a press release had to refute the false column.
Sure, it sounds funny, but I'm curious to see what our class thinks. Was the April Fools' joke worth upsetting that much of the public? Will the angry portion of the public continue to read the paper that fooled them? In relation to college newspapers, should they keep up with the tradition of their joke-filled front pages, or should they continue to fulfill their traditional duty and report on the news? Are college newspapers held to different standards than local or national newspapers in regards to April Fools? What do you think of UMD's April Fools' edition?
Here is an interesting Storify that collects tweets and Facebook posts about college newspapers and their April Fools' editions.
Firstly, this led me to think about how long April Fools' jokes in the media has been going on. Obviously, the jokes could not be that extensive because Google, Twitter and YouTube did not always exist. The online world has expanded so much, that it has allowed for more creativity when it comes to things like April Fools' jokes. It's not just the traditional, satirical news story anymore.
Secondly, this led me to question whether publications should even partake in the holiday. Is that part of a journalist's job? This further led me to a post on Jim Romenesko's blog about previous mishaps in April Fools' editions of college newspapers, such as the Missouri Maneater, who called their April Fools' edition The Carpeteater (whoops), the Fordham University Ram headlining an article "Jesuits gone Jewish," and the Boston University Daily Free Press writing a "tasteless" article on Cinderella being caught up in a prostitution ring. All three of these publications didn't run April Fools' issues this year because of these previous editions that came off as offensive.
Outside of college newspapers, The Ontario (Wis.) County Line -- a 2,000 circulation weekly paper -- posted an annual April Fool's column last year about Disney buying a beloved state trail. This resulted in an extreme public uproar, where the public was planning protests, and a press release had to refute the false column.
Sure, it sounds funny, but I'm curious to see what our class thinks. Was the April Fools' joke worth upsetting that much of the public? Will the angry portion of the public continue to read the paper that fooled them? In relation to college newspapers, should they keep up with the tradition of their joke-filled front pages, or should they continue to fulfill their traditional duty and report on the news? Are college newspapers held to different standards than local or national newspapers in regards to April Fools? What do you think of UMD's April Fools' edition?
Here is an interesting Storify that collects tweets and Facebook posts about college newspapers and their April Fools' editions.
I've always found April Fools Day headlines to be a bit ridiculous. Most of the time, they're not even funny, and they always seem to do more harm than good. When I hear about this stuff, I'm continually reminded of the dangers of satire. The Onion, which labels itself as a satirical magazine, routinely fools people who think its articles are real (If you think I'm making that up, check out literallyunbelievable.tumblr.com). For news outlets to try to do what The Onion does, without labeling their articles as satire, seems ridiculous, and will only lead to readers questioning them and believing their stories.
ReplyDeleteThere are really two options for news outlets here. They can either quit publishing April Fools Day articles, or they can clearly label their satire articles as satire in the headlines or leads of the stories. That way, readers won't be confused and will understand.