April Fool’s day has come and gone, and while the Richmond News decided not to pull one over on its readers this year it certainly has in the past, joining a long tradition of media mischief on April 1.
Stories that have come out on this date range from the 1950s BBC documentary on growing spaghetti trees to a more recent newspaper article on “Guardian goggles,” said to filter out politically offensive content and allow readers to post comments by shouting their feelings out loud.
The stories that get published on the first of April are a barometer of our times. What’s a political hot potato? Where are our sacred cows? What topics push our buttons so much we’ll believe almost anything connected to them?
Some journalists have even suggested it’s a day writers show readers —affectionately, of course — what we think of them.
As a historical figure, the fool — or court jester — had a special status in a royal household. He was expected to both amuse and criticize. He said things ordinary people couldn’t.
Admittedly, some folks aren’t crazy about April Fools. As media, our only currency is our credibility and we poke holes in that at our peril.
But at a time when urban legends on Facebook are accepted as truth, and everyone with a cellphone is an instant expert, perhaps it’s a good reminder to read all sources of news with critical thinking engaged.
It’s always important to question sources and to receive the barrage of information that flies at us with our brains activated.
To do less is simply foolish.
