How Oz media fooled its listeners/readers

After reading this, tell me what you feel about the media playing such pranks, is it something which is expected from the media. I personally feel that media is to be more serious and responsible and not to play such pranks.

A new internet search engine will deliver tomorrow's news today, airline passengers willing to stand can buy cheap "no chair fares", and the Pope will celebrate a mass for gays in Australia this year, according to April Fool's Day reports.
Google's contribution to April Fool's Day headlines was the announcement of a new feature giving computer users access to news in advance, including share prices and sports results.
The company quoted one delighted user, Daryl from Victoria, as saying: "Wow, I just put a grand on number seven in the fourth at Flemington tomorrow and bought my girlfriend a gift with the money I'm going to collect. Thanks Google."
But Sally from WA was not as impressed, commenting: "This is old news. I read about this announcement yesterday on Google."
Richard Branson's Virgin Blue airline got into the April 1 spirit by running newspaper ads offering half-priced fares for passengers willing to stand, with free calf massages on flights longer than two hours.
Media outlets kept up the April Fool tradition.
Sydney's radio 2UE reported the Pope would conduct a special gay and lesbian mass when he visits for World Youth Day, and the Catholic Church was considering entering a float in next year's mardi gras.
ABC Radio in Sydney tried to convince listeners a stand at the SCG would be named in honour of the flamboyant former Sydney Swans full forward Warwick Capper.
And it took a while for Melbourne ABC Radio breakfast host Red Symons to work out the Beijing Olympics weren't going to run the women's events two weeks after the men's.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that a harbourside Japanese restaurant was offering the city's diners their first taste of whale meat.
Melbourne's Herald-Sun reported that cars would be ferried down the Yarra River during peak times in a radical bid to ease the city's traffic congestion.
ABC's science news website reported that stress from high house prices and sporting failures was shrinking Sydneysiders' brains, compared to those of Melburnians.
Kate Ritchie, whose final Home and Away episode after 20 years airs on Tuesday night, told listeners of Nova Radio's Merrick and Rosso program that she had signed up to guest star on rival soapie, Neighbours. Not happening.
Meanwhile, the Seven Network's Sunrise program's presenters Kochie and Mel played musical chairs.
Britain's Independent newspaper said foul-mouthed TV chef Gordon Ramsay was banning swearing in his restaurants worldwide after authorities in Sydney knocked back an application for an eatery there on grounds of "decency".
Ramsay said through a spokesman that "the whole thrust of Australia's new tourism initiative was based on swearing, what with that 'Where the bloody hell are you?' campaign".
Pranksters in New Zealand did not fare so well.
An Auckland radio station apologised to listeners after falsely publicising a free concert by rock band Foo Fighters.
"This is what happens when fools plan April Fools jokes," said program director Brad King.
And NZ news agencies killed reports based on a bogus press release from NZ's conservation department, which said rats had been trained to find rare native frogs.
The release quoted the minister, Steve Chadwick, who is a woman. Now that is true.

Source SMH

I don't seem to understand this April Fool culture in India. If Iam right it is related to some adjustment in western almanac. Many pranks are played by people which I personally detest.

Channels are no more responsible. They are after cheap popularity. Most of the channels have forgotten the ABC of Journalism and ethics which binds them. In the nameof TRP there is a lot of dilution and erosion of moral and ethics.

This reminds me of the Valentines Day in India. Never do we forget our near ones nor we need to proclaim things to the world. kanka

I fully agree with you. I even feel the present journalist are after cold blood and the cry(of people like sreeshanth even), gang rape and they are kenly towards acquiring our viewership by provoking our emotional quotient. I now a days see regional tamil channels using the media to strike hard their opposition parties. which is much more worser. This has increased my hatered towards tamil TV media. I dont know how are we going to express them in bold and black that it is not what we expect from our media and force them to act responsiby.
Last few days the Advt in english news channels are more of flesh than creativity.
THe supplementary news editions of famous news papers are also following them instead of promoting the values of our tradition and culture.
We have lot of points as of such. Which the TV news channels and news press and mdia should lend their ears to and change themselves