Aprilsnarren i avisen

Abstract

Caroline Nyvang: April Fools’ Day in Danish Newspapers

For more than 400 years, April Fool’s Day has been a legitimate reason to play tricks on those closest to us. In the west, we have a long tradition on this day of sending our family and friends out on wild-goose chases after a smoke-reverser, a left-handed screwdriver or the air-bubble inside a spirit level. Those who took the bait could then be proclaimed April Fool. This article examines how Danish newspapers have managed this tradition from 1849 until today’ The overview takes its empirical starting point in the Mediestream web service’ which gives access to digitalised editions of Danish newspapers published since the 1600s. Through a systematic review of April Fool editions of seven local and nationwide newspapers, I chart three distinct trends in the newspapers’ April Fool jokes. The article shows that what one could joke about and how one could do it has altered in step with the changing conditions for the newspaper medium. In addition, in the article I argue that today, an April Fool joke can best be understood as a variation of news satire’ In the same way as this sub-genre, an April Fool joke gives the media the opportunity to exercise both self-criticism and overall social criticism.