TDP Furious At Deccan Chronicle's April Fool 'Joke'
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2021-04-01 07:34:41
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The Deccan Chronicle (DC) newspaper today published a report on its front page that said that the Telugu Desam Party had decided to "unconditionally" merge with the BJP. Coming just three days after the TDP held its Foundation Day programme when Chandrababu Naidu promised workers that the party will usher in reforms that will revive the party, the report seemed to be shocking. But the giveaway was the last line of the report in which the reporter wrote that a BJP leader advised people to look at the date, April 1, which is April Fools' Day.
The TDP was furious and did not take kindly to the 'joke'. In a series of tweets, the party raised questions of journalistic ethics and asked how a reporter and a newspaper cannot hide behind the April Fools' Day to publish such fake and alarming news.
The TDP said "Only a fool uses news to celebrate April Fools. Taking advantage of the day to peddle fake news" and referring to the DC editor Shriram Karri who uses the Twitter handle @oratorgreat, said that "Having revealed his own "merger" with his masters today, the joke's on him! Hope they reward him." The BJP took the report in the right spirit and the party's Andhra in-charge tweeted a picture of the report with the caption "April Fool?"
So what is it, fake news or April Fools' Day joke? Newspapers all over the world have used the day to publish such news before, but they have always ensured that a pointer was given to say that it was a joke, like the instant report did. Journalistic ethics would have come into play if there was an attempt to carry it as 'real' news. The TDP is unduly perturbed. It should take the 'joke' in the right spirit. But, perhaps, such is the state of the party now that it thinks that its workers will consider it true and dash whatever hopes the top brass nourishes of reviving the party.
