By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco
On this day before April Fools Day...April Fools Eve if you will, I wanted to get a rant off on something that has been building up inside me for a while.
I want to address the sadness that is April Fools Day Editions of newspapers.
One of the local papers in my hometown, has done one for several years now. Except I forgot last year. I wasted about 15 minutes reading the front page of the newspaper and thinking how interesting all the news was when I realized I was reading a bunch of fabricated nonsense.
Last year on April 1, I was reading an online trade publication which I think is the most informative for my industry. Fifteen minutes into my read I realized that I was also reading nonsense.
I don't mind a good Aprils Fools joke. My good friend emailed me an Aprils Fool joke last year that was really funny...but I also knew right off the bat it was an April Fools joke and they had the good sense to keep it short and simple and not waste my time.
April Fools jokes in newspapers, however, are another story. First of all, editors, you are not doing anything novel or rare. The April Fools edition is old news. Secondly, if you want to be taken seriously as a publication...don't do it. Even as an editor of a high school newspaper...I had good sense not to do it. It's just tacky, unnecessary and annoying. Not to mention passe.
At least this year April Fools Day falls on a Sunday so we will be spared from all those work-related April Fools jokes.
My promise to you for tomorrow, April Fools Day...You will be safe here on the Daily Bosco. I am declaring this an April Fools Day Safe Zone. Or will I?
Happy April Fools Eve my friends!
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