I love humor. One of the reasons why I enjoy working for “The Oracle” is the office environment. It’s a place where someone can say, “I major in journalism-I have no choice but to marry rich” and know that someone in the office will grin.That being said, when The Oracle staff realized that it would publish an issue on April Fool’s Day, members put stakes in one of two camps of thought. Half of the staff wanted to produce an entirely fabricated edition filled with fake or satirical news. The other half opted for a normal edition with a one-page insert of bogus news. In case you were wondering, I was for the latter option.
As Managing Editor, I have the responsibility to guide the direction of The Oracle. My decision to cancel an April Fool’s edition or page was unpleasant, but as stated above, the staff was clearly divided on the subject.
In addition, some of our advertisers were wary of running their advertisement in an entirely mock paper. I apologize to the readers who may have heard about an April Fool’s edition and expected to see a crudely Photoshopped picture of an unsuspecting dean in a bikini.
In that same vein, I assure all readers that this edition of The Oracle is filled with legitimate news.
A journalist’s professional priority should be to deliver news with truth. Making an audience laugh should be an auxiliary concern and is best left to Steven Colbert and writers at “The Onion.
