Google nails it, TechCrunch kills it!
I simply don’t understand the concept of fooling your readers who trust your brand for factually correct news stories. Yet, there are several content planners who feel that news website planting pranks on readers is a fun way to connect wit the readers.
A couple of these have been declared for the netizens to spot. I was reading through Zee News‘ website when I spotted the oldest of old, rotten prank – Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif getting married in a secret ceremony. Hindutsan Times had published a story on the semi-fist fight about Desi Boyz Akshay Kumar and John Abraham.
In international media, Forbes.com on Sunday in its blog declared Mitt Romney had exited the Republican presidential race. The story although was pulled down couple of minutes later, it became a trending topic on Twitter.
A Bengaluru-based radio channel announced the entire last week that top stars from Bollywood, including Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu and Katrina Kaif, will be landing atop Nandi Hills to inaugurate the hilltop studio of the FM channel. The false news brought in over 4000 people from different parts of the state to the venue. This, however, can’t along be laughed-off as a prank, as the event was being publicized for over a week’s time. I would rather take it as a false ‘promise’.
However, Google and TechCrunch stole the show for me for being the best pranksters. Google which put up a 8-bit Google Map for people to access, has already been discussed on several blogs and news website.
But I believe the king of pranks was a story from TechCruch that made me believe that Facebook is coming with a ‘Hate’ button. This is something that most of the Facebookers have been requesting from a long time. (At least, I have been) One reason for such a recommendation on a social networking site is because our ‘silly’ friends like our status even if it states – I’m fired!
Related articles
- Mitt Romney gets pranked by campaign staff [Video] (examiner.com)
- Google News Fooled by April Fools’ Day Prank (mashable.com)
- Borowitz Report – April Fools (mbcalyn.com)
- Legitimate News Source Ditches Credibility for April Fool’s Fun [April Fool's] (gawker.com)
- Twitter’s unfunniest April Fools’ pranks (twitchy.com)
I think the credibility of newspaper shrug off when they try to play with the news. As you stated that myriads of people gathered at the venue when they heard the news of the celebrity arriving there; I think, if I were one of them, I would have started to dislike that particular media. It goes against the ethics. And the last paragraph where TechCruch mentioned the hate button, I so wish that for that too; it could simplify things on Facebook.
Posted by aadilfahim | April 2, 2012, 4:57 pm