The Tennessean: Where Every Day Is April Fools
Yesterday, we received a press release from liberal talk radio madame Mary Mancini announcing that she and her co-host Freddie O'Connell were joining forces with conservative firebrand Steve Gill. The trio planned to launch a new Saturday morning talk show, “Right Hook, Left Jab,” broadcast live on WRVU 91.1 FM. Some of us—by that I mean me—examined the March 31 date of the press release and took it as news. Then I read deeper into the announcement and noticed that the trio also planned to lecture on the subject of "Politics and Pop Music: Country Versus Yacht Rock" featuring special guests Vince Gill and Steeve Porcaro of Toto—and I realized I had been totally suckered.
Fortunately, we never reported the announcement of the new radio show as fact. That would have been embarrassing. I don't think I ever would have lived that one down.
Alas, The Tennessean was not as lucky. Here's what it printed in its local news section today:
Comments
I guess I don't understand how lying to a bunch of news sources is particularlly funny. It's too bad it's all but a fairytale. It sounded like a good show.
Posted 04/02/2008 at 01:37:52 PMserves 'em right for just flowing in press releases without any kind of follow-up or verification. that's not reporting, or even responsible community service. that's laziness.
Posted 04/02/2008 at 03:08:31 PMThey should have KNOWN something was up when the flack didn't call them repeatedly to ask if they'd received the release, when they were gonna run the release, if they needed photos to go with the release, what kind of play the release was going to get, what page the release might be on, did they need to interview the principals, did they receive the release, when they were gonna run the release ...
Seriously. That "editorial contact" number is there for a reason, y'all.
Posted 04/02/2008 at 03:15:10 PMI thought it was classic! I fell for it for a little while.
What a great idea it would be. I'd love to listen to Mary and Gill spar!
Posted 04/02/2008 at 04:08:49 PM