NPR is known for their high journalistic standards, on the air, on their site, and even on Facebook. So it came as an endearing surprise when the organization’s official Facebook page was updated with a story about “Ramona.”
In a Facebook post from Monday night, NPR posted about Ramona and her adventures with toys, hugs, and cats. The story itself is surreal out of context, because there isn’t enough information to know who or what Ramona is. But it’s the wholesomeness and adorableness of Ramona’s adventures, combined with the mistake on NPR’s part, that’s making the original post so memorable.
“Ramona is given new toy: Smiles, examines for 20 seconds, discards,” the original post reads. “Ramona gets a hug: Acquiesces momentarily, squirms to be put down. Ramona sees three cats 30 feet away: Immediately possessed by shrieking, spasmodic joy that continues after cats flee for their lives.”
NPR has since been edited the Facebook post, apologizing for the error. But by the time the organization caught the mistake, the internet already heard about Ramona and needed to know more.
“This is so much better than the depressing news lately,” one Facebook user wrote. “Can Ramona updates be a new NPR feature?”
“Where do we sign up for future Ramona updates?” another poster asked.
You are so adorable @NPR. This seriously gave me the best lol today, which I needed. Please don’t fire Ramona’s human. pic.twitter.com/8G2xPNoJrw
— mile high tragic (@hurryhurryomaha) October 3, 2017
https://twitter.com/kelly_digital/status/915037777024081920
GIVE US MORE RAMONA, @NPR pic.twitter.com/hsp3XGQ5Uj
— an banamba (@anbanamba) October 3, 2017
Others are debating whether Ramona is a toddler or a cat.
.@NPR, readers demand to know if Ramona is going to get a cat. Or, plot twist, is Ramona also a cat? #ramonaupdates pic.twitter.com/Je4npr3Y1i
— Lindsey Wasson 📸 (@lindseywasson) October 3, 2017
https://twitter.com/jordankkush/status/915045190292967424
https://twitter.com/leahlibrarian/status/915184985291796480
Cat, toddler, dog, or something else, no one knows who Ramona is and whether NPR will listen to fans’ demands for more Ramona reports. But for many, the accidental post was a short break from a particularly stressful news cycle, after reports came in late Sunday and early Monday on the Las Vegas shooting that left 59 dead and over 500 injured.
So while Ramona may not come back to NPR’s Facebook page, her story is a testament to the joyous things still happening around the world, even in the wake of a major national crisis.
The NPR errant Ramona Facebook post is the only good thing in the world right now pic.twitter.com/QchgLVqChO
— Ellen Stark (@ellenstark) October 3, 2017
Thanks Ramona, for being a bright spot in a bad news cycle. And thanks @NPR for allowing us to see the edit history 😂 pic.twitter.com/mNl0pYqlVE
— Nicole (they/she) (@mcafee2012) October 3, 2017
Update, 10:30am CT, Oct. 3: NPR confirms that Ramona is indeed a baby! Swing editor Christopher Dean Hopkins says he accidentally posted the Ramona story to NPR’s Facebook page instead of his personal one.
It remains unknown, however, if we’ll get more Ramona updates in the future. “I suppose if people keep promising to pledge to NPR and it doesn’t distract from the very good work our NPR journalists do, we’ll see,” Hopkins says.
