Just Zelling along

Check out tribune.com and you'll notice that the company's name has been changed to ZellCoMediaEnterprises Inc. "H---, I put $315 million into this thing, and we're on the hook for $13 billion—the least I ought to get is my name on the company's stationery," Zell said in a news release. The Web site also has an electronic "TipJar" labeled "Hey buddy, help a paper out?" And if you haven't figured it out by now, yes, it is an April Fool's prank, though ZellCoMedia doesn’t seem like that much of a stretch. From the release, courtesy of the WSJ

The company, which publishes nine daily newspapers in some of the country's top markets, also unveiled plans to go completely paperless, using edible ink and a newly designed licorice printing system. "Now our newspapers can be put to good use for something other than news, information, and lining bird cages," said Randy Michaels, executive vice president of the company's broadcasting and internet divisions, who's also fooling around with newspapers. "Although I'm told it's a little dry, a family of four will be able to get a week's worth of nourishment off the Sunday edition of the Chicago Tribune."

I'm sure they're just howling on 1st Street.