The Washington Post editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes has resigned in disgust after the editor ‘spiked’ her editorial cartoon.
Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, Ann Telnaes, had her cartoon ‘spiked’ that criticizes billionaire techs spotted at Mar-A-Lago and media chief executives who have been doing their best to curry favour with incoming President-elect Donald Trump.
“I’ve worked for the Washington Post since 2008 as an editorial cartoonist. I have had editorial feedback and productive conversations—and some differences—about cartoons I have submitted for publication, but in all that time I’ve never had a cartoon killed because of who or what I chose to aim my pen at. Until now,” Ms Telnaes said.
The cartoon depicts Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook/Meta CEO); Sam Altman (AI CEO); publisher of the LA Times, Patrick Zoon-Shiong; The Walt Disney Company/ABC News and the owner of The Washington Post and founder of online store Amazon, Jeff Bezos.
“You work for a company and that company has the right tp expect employees to adhere to what’s good for the company …
“That’s true except we’re talking about news organisations that have public obligations and who are obliged to nurture a free press in a democracy,” Ms Telnaes said.
Ms Telnaes has watched overseas colleagues risk their livelihoods and even their lives to expose injustices.
“As an editorial cartoonist, my job is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable,” Ms Telnaes said.
It was the first time Ann Telnaes’ editor had spiked her editorial cartoon.
Democracy Dies In Darkness.
The Washington Post and Jeff Bezos did not respond to a request for comment.
Parts of this article are by Ann Telnaes which you can read here.
