The parody featured three sections, 24 joke advertisements, 73 spoof articles and 155 fake news briefs, all meticulously edited to mimic The Times’s style. Even the typefaces used on the front page and the spacing of the headlines exactly replicated those of the real paper.

The writer of one column praised Genghis Khan for his ability to “get things done,” and an in-depth investigation by a team of 35 Not The Times reporters found that cocaine “appears popular.”

“We all had a lot of time on our hands,” the designer Richard Yeend said.

After the strike ended, the Times journalists went back to work and kept quiet about their satirical moonlighting.

That’s it for this briefing. See you next time. — Victoria

Thank you

To Theodore Kim and Jahaan Singh for the break from the news. The Back Story was based on reporting by Alex Traub. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

P.S.

• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about how Mardi Gras in New Orleans may have played a role in the spread of the coronavirus.

• Here’s today’s Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: Hurricanes have strong ones (five letters). You can find all of our puzzles here.

• The Times’s climate journalists will discuss some of the unexpected consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, like less air pollution and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. R.S.V.P. here to join them today at 4:30 p.m. London time.