Parody NYT hits city today

Anyone in New York pick up their free copy of "The New York Times" today? Quote marks, because it was a progressive spoof on the Times that included "All the News We Hope to Print" with a blaring cover story that the "Iraq War Ends," "Maximum Wage Law Succeeds," and "Nationalized Oil to Fund Climate Change Efforts" - you can see where this is going. The 14-page piece includes parody ads from a number of companies, including Exxon, which declares "Peace. An idea the world can profit from."

One story in the issue, which can also be found online, that might be of interest to the industry: "Public Relations Industry Forecasts a Series of Massive Layoffs."

Public relations firms across the country predict massive layoffs in the coming months due to recent legislation outlawing the firms' most lucrative practices... The new rules would have forbidden the creation of the National Smokers Alliance, a front group formed by Philip Morris with the help of P.R. giant Burson Marsteller...

The story, dated July 4, 2009, like the rest of the paper, goes on with fake quotes from "Cynthia Knowlton," "Fred Donahue of MediaLink Worldwide," and Saatchi & Saatchi.