The Gray News is a rich man’s toy
The Gray News is an April Fool joke, literally
In the past newspapers have often been owned by so-called media barons, and were used either as a rich man's toy, or a political tool, says Wikipedia.
Media proprietors are frequently accused of using their positions to further political agendas, and some of them have in fact done so.
For years, the Gray News enjoyed dedicating all or part of its paper on April first to an “April Fool” issue. The editor would create spoofs of local events and personalities, and litter the paper with these fictional yarns.
Aside from the fact that his parodies were not funny, clever, or inspired, to abuse the community’s newspaper for your own amusement reinforces the fundamental problem with the Gray News: they do not believe they serve the public. They use the paper to serve themselves.
A newspaper can be fun: it can create a witty headline, cover a fun story, write a clever editorial. A newspaper can have an entertainment section with reviews, puzzles, or horoscopes and advice columns. Writing ego-driven spoofs and turning the entire paper into a toy for your amusement fails the community by failing in its two primary charges: To serve. To inform.
If we want the funnies, wel get a comic book. When we want the news, we get a newspaper. The Gray News should remember which is which.
In the past newspapers have often been owned by so-called media barons, and were used either as a rich man's toy, or a political tool, says Wikipedia.
Media proprietors are frequently accused of using their positions to further political agendas, and some of them have in fact done so.
For years, the Gray News enjoyed dedicating all or part of its paper on April first to an “April Fool” issue. The editor would create spoofs of local events and personalities, and litter the paper with these fictional yarns.
Aside from the fact that his parodies were not funny, clever, or inspired, to abuse the community’s newspaper for your own amusement reinforces the fundamental problem with the Gray News: they do not believe they serve the public. They use the paper to serve themselves.
A newspaper can be fun: it can create a witty headline, cover a fun story, write a clever editorial. A newspaper can have an entertainment section with reviews, puzzles, or horoscopes and advice columns. Writing ego-driven spoofs and turning the entire paper into a toy for your amusement fails the community by failing in its two primary charges: To serve. To inform.
If we want the funnies, wel get a comic book. When we want the news, we get a newspaper. The Gray News should remember which is which.
posted by Gray Maine at
1:22 PM
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