NYT retracts article claiming watermelons were found on Mars, netizens amused

New York Times published an article claiming “Fields of Watermelons Found On Mars”. The article was deleted quickly but the netizens were quick to react and shower memes on Twitter.

The article appeared on their site attributing the claim to the police, “Authorities say rise of fruit aliens is to blame for glut of outer space watermelons.” The story was deleted less than an hour later.

The report read, “The FBI declined to comment on reports of watermelons raining down, but confirmed that kiwis have been intercepted. This story is terribly boring,” further adding, “Watermelon taste good, police say.”

The article got more attention when a journalist tweeted a screenshot of the article, which further created a stir on the internet.

A former employee claimed that it might have been some backend error while testing out some new features on the website.

As per a report, a spokesperson of the New York Times clarified it was meant for just testing purposes. She said, “Earlier today, a mock article intended for a testing system was published on our site in error,” the spokesperson was quoted. “The article has since been removed.”

Below is how the internet reacted.