Those of us who have been on this dusty orb for a bit fondly remember the late political cartoonist Jeff MacNelly. MacNelly, who also wrote the popular “Shoe” comic strip, was much like the late and equally lamented Tim Russert of “Meet the Press” fame. While he was an unapologetic conservative, MacNelly was unafraid to view both sides of the political aisle with a critical eye. This probing but proper approach, where playing gotcha is eschewed in favor of a straightforward “explain yourself” without permitting easy escape from difficult questions due to political agreement with the queried newsmaker, is a rare commodity in today’s mainstream media. While the direct quote assigned to the late New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael (“I can’t believe Nixon won. I don’t know anyone who voted for him”) is at best suspect, the sentiment is all too real. Not comprehending there is intelligent life outside your bubble is a common symptom of the disease permeating the left known as the Noclue virus.
The latest leftist who has succumbed to the virus is now-former Washington Post political cartoonist Ann Telnaes, who has taken to her Substack page to whine about why she is now voluntarily unemployed. It seems that the Post, owned by Amazon founder and no friend of conservatives Jeff Bezos, took a dim view of Telnaes’ cartoon (a rough draft of which is available on her Substack page) directly depicting Bezos and other ostensibly left-leaning media moguls now paying homage to President-Elect Donald Trump.
Ms. Telnaes’ post merges the finest of Wisconsin and California, demanding copious amounts of quality cheese to accompany the gallons of spilled whine with an accompanying sideboard of self-importance unaccompanied by anything vaguely resembling discernible cause for such belief. She starts by playing the victim.
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.
The cartoon that was killed criticizes the billionaire tech and media chief executives who have been doing their best to curry favor with incoming President-elect Trump. There have been multiple articles recently about these men with lucrative government contracts and an interest in eliminating regulations making their way to Mar-a-lago. The group in the cartoon included Mark Zuckerberg/Facebook & Meta founder and CEO, Sam Altman/AI CEO, Patrick Soon-Shiong/LA Times publisher, the Walt Disney Company/ABC News, and Jeff Bezos/Washington Post owner.
While it isn’t uncommon for editorial page editors to object to visual metaphors within a cartoon if it strikes that editor as unclear or isn’t correctly conveying the message intended by the cartoonist, such editorial criticism was not the case regarding this cartoon. To be clear, there have been instances where sketches have been rejected or revisions requested, but never because of the point of view inherent in the cartoon’s commentary. That’s a game changer…and dangerous for a free press.
A quick ”fill in the blanks “ session suggests itself. Ms. Telnaes worked for the Washington Post, which, as noted, is owned by Jeff Bezos. Now, while visibly running any large organization invariably invites public criticism, something against which the wise highly recommended thickening of the epidermis layer, it is an unspoken due to it generally being considered an obvious rule that an employee refrains from publicly criticizing both his or her employer and the individual or individuals who lead said employer. Not biting the hand that feeds you is solid advice.
Ms. Telnaes next plays the martyr card by astonishingly implying that her temper tantrum somehow equates herself with political cartoonists who have paid the price for their work, often with their lives.
Over the years I have watched my overseas colleagues risk their livelihoods and sometimes even their lives to expose injustices and hold their countries’ leaders accountable. As a member of the Advisory board for the Geneva based Freedom Cartoonists Foundation and a former board member of Cartoonists Rights, I believe that editorial cartoonists are vital for civic debate and have an essential role in journalism.
Several former staff members at Charlie Hebdo would like a word but, unfortunately, are unavailable for comment.
Ms. Telnaes finishes with a self-important flourish.
There will be people who say, “Hey, you work for a company and that company has the right to expect employees to adhere to what’s good for the company”. That’s true except we’re talking about news organizations that have public obligations and who are obliged to nurture a free press in a democracy. Owners of such press organizations are responsible for safeguarding that free press— and trying to get in the good graces of an autocrat-in-waiting will only result in undermining that free press.
As an editorial cartoonist, my job is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable. For the first time, my editor prevented me from doing that critical job. So I have decided to leave the Post. I doubt my decision will cause much of a stir and that it will be dismissed because I’m just a cartoonist. But I will not stop holding truth to power through my cartooning, because as they say, “Democracy dies in darkness”.
How will we ever survive without her?
While such self-righteousness is easy to lampoon and leave it at that, Ms. Telnaes’ screed highlights a disturbing reality within today’s media. It is laughable for any employee to believe they can publicly criticize their employer and escape unscathed. It is equally ridiculous for legacy media to still cling to its belief that Donald Trump is evil personified and that anyone attempting in any degree to work with an incoming administration is selling out to Satan incarnate. We, the people, do not need Ann Telnaes to save us from our common sense. Her void thereof is an entirely different matter.
