An established editorial cartoonist for The Washington Put up resigned from her place Friday after the newspaper rejected a cool animated film that depicted tech and leisure giants — together with Put up proprietor Jeff Bezos — kneeling ahead of President-elect Donald Trump.
Ann Telnaes, who labored on the Put up since 2008 and up to now gained a Pulitzer Prize for her paintings, printed her resolution to depart the newspaper Friday on Substack.
“I’ve labored for the Washington Put up since 2008 as an article cartoonist. I’ve had editorial comments and productive conversations—and a few variations—about cartoons I’ve submitted for e-newsletter, however in all that point I’ve by no means had a cool animated film killed on account of who or what I selected to try my pen at,” Telnaes wrote. “Till now.”
Telnaes additionally shared a draft of the cool animated film in query, which confirmed Mickey Mouse (representing Disney) in addition to “Mark Zuckerberg/Fb & Meta founder and CEO, Sam Altman/AI CEO, Patrick Quickly-Shiong/LA Occasions writer, and Jeff Bezos/Washington Put up proprietor” bowing, kneeling and providing cash baggage to an outsized Trump.
“The cool animated film that used to be killed criticizes the billionaire tech and media leader executives who’ve been doing their easiest to curry want with incoming President-elect Trump,” Telnaes wrote.
“Whilst it isn’t unusual for editorial web page editors to object to visible metaphors inside a cool animated film if it moves that editor as unclear or isn’t as it should be conveying the message supposed via the cartoonist, such editorial complaint used to be no longer the case referring to this cool animated film. To be transparent, there were circumstances the place sketches had been rejected or revisions asked, however by no means on account of the standpoint inherent within the cool animated film’s observation. That’s a sport changer…and threatening for a loose press.”
The Washington Put up showed Telnaes’ departure, however stated in a remark to the New York Occasions that the cool animated film used to be rejected no longer for content material however because of “repetition,” as some other cool animated film tackling a an identical matter used to be already set for e-newsletter.
“Now not each and every editorial judgment is a mirrored image of a malign power,” the Put up’s evaluations editor David Shipley stated. “My resolution used to be guided via the truth that we had simply revealed a column at the identical matter because the cool animated film and had already scheduled some other column – this one a satire – for e-newsletter.” Shipley added that he requested Telnaes to rethink her resignation.
In her Substack, Telnaes famous different controversies lately throughout the Bezos-owned generation on the Washington Put up, together with the newspaper’s resolution not to endorse a presidential candidate ahead of November’s election. The Put up itself reported that its editorial leadershipwas ready days in the past to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump, however a final minute intervention via Bezos killed the deliberate endorsement.
“As an article cartoonist, my activity is to carry robust folks and establishments responsible,” Telnaes added. For the primary time, my editor averted me from doing that essential activity. So I’ve determined to depart the Put up. I doubt my resolution will purpose a lot of a stir and that it’s going to be pushed aside as a result of I’m only a cartoonist. However I will be able to no longer forestall preserving fact to energy thru my cartooning, as a result of as they are saying, ‘Democracy dies in darkness.’”
Discover more from The Mass Trust
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
