Trayvon Martin Cartoon: The Daily Texan Apologizes, Cartoonist No Longer On Staff

The University of Texas at Austin's student newspaper, The Daily Texan, apologized Thursday for a controversial cartoon published earlier this week about the Trayvon Martin shooting. In addition, the Texan announced that Stephanie Eisner, the author of the cartoon, would no longer work for the newspaper.

The cartoon in question originally ran in Tuesday's print edition. In the drawing, a woman reads from a book entitled "Treyvon [sic] Martin and the Case of Yellow Journalism" A speech bubble poised next to the woman's head exclaims,"And then, the BIG BAD WHITE man killed the handsome, sweet, innocent colored boy." The cartoon ran the same day as a rally for Trayvon Martin was planned in Austin.

After controversy erupted, the DT took the cartoon down from the website, and then later put the cartoon back up with an editor's note explaining why they published it. It has since been taken down again. Faculty adviser Doug Warren issued a statement, which the DT tweeted about, but it was taken off the website as well. Eisner issued an apology to local news outlets on Wednesday afternoon.

Students on campus protested outside the DT's office Wednesday, holding signs with statements like "The Daily Texan: Racist Since 1900."

Donna De Cesare, an associate professor at the UT journalism school said in a video that the editorial board shouldn't have published the drawing.

"This is not the first time that racist cartoons have appeared in the Texan and the coverage has not been reflective of this campus as a whole," De Cesare said.

Viviana Aldous, the DT's editor-in-chief, admitted to students gathered outside the DT office that they haven't made enough of an effort to reach out to the community for more diverse coverage. Staff members told protesters outside their newsroom that the cartoon was an attempt to critique the media coverage, and not the actual incident itself.

On Thursday, the DT's editorial board issued an apology for the cartoon. They also announced that Eisner was no longer working on their staff but it was not clear whether she left on her own or was dismissed. Aldous and Warren did not respond to a request for comment by The Huffington Post. Eisner was also not able to be reached.

"We made a mistake, and we understand that the outcome of our action extends beyond Tuesday’s cartoon and prompts us to reflect on a larger problem that persists at The Daily Texan and on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin," the editorial board wrote, "something we should have done before Tuesday’s paper ran."

The Daily Texan's cartoon:

Take a look at what people are saying about it on Twitter:

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Comments

[One-Percenter]

05:04 PM on 04/16/2012

Im offended by the crappy art work.

[bklynsparrow]

01:49 AM on 04/03/2012

It seems the publishers and editor of the Daily Texan suffer from a serious lack of cognitive thinking and just good old common sense or human compassion. Not only is Stephanie Eisner an idiot, she didn't even have the intelligence to spell Trayvon's name correctly. It's called due diligence, my girl. You don't haz it. The apology is all well and good, but honestly- Why would anyone give that cartoon a pass, who had a modicum of knowledge of american history, current events or even the case? If this is the quality of student Austin is graduating, they aren't getting their money's worth.

[kymber23]

12:01 AM on 04/03/2012

Interesting how people will say, write, draw and post what they want reflecting how they truly feelto but all of sudden are soooo sorry when we all know that they are not sorry and are only apologizing because of public and/or professional pressure. Ridiculous.

[Samian Quazi]

08:25 PM on 04/03/2012

There's a petition to get her reinstated. Check it out!
http://www.change.org/petitions/daily-texan-newspaper-reinstate-stephanie-eisner

[Whatashame]

08:31 PM on 04/02/2012

I don't understand how u can pursue someone then claim self defense.

[oldwhitefemdem]

10:48 PM on 04/02/2012

You can't. I guess that's why this is still a case. At least for the time being. So much of what the Zimmerman's and their advocates are saying keeps being rebutted successfully. That's what happens when the NRA writes our laws. Jeb Bush really screwed this one up.

[pdmlynek]

11:49 PM on 04/02/2012

It has to do with self defense privilege. I don’t know the entire set of facts, but my understanding is that Mr. Zimmerman claims that Mr. Zimmerman approached Mr. Martin, after which Mr. Martin attacked Mr. Zimmerman. If Mr. Martin was the attacker, and if he used deadly force on Mr. Zimmerman, then Mr. Zimmerman would be privileged to use deadly force to defend himself.

I am not arguing that this is what happened (I see Mr. Zimmerman at fault), but I am just trying to answer your question how a “pursuer” would be privileged to use deadly force to defend himself.

[bklynsparrow]

01:40 AM on 04/03/2012

I think who the self defense privilege has to do with who initiates the threat. Otherwise  the stand Your ground law  could be used to defend a serial killer  who followed someone who turned around to defend himself and got the better of the killer. i think that's why the sponsors of the Stand Your ground Law don't think it should protect Zimmerman.

[huevos07]

05:27 PM on 04/02/2012

As a liberal, progressive I actually enjoy seeing these displays of conservative thinking. It highlights the inherent victimhood, displays the itinerant inability to understand the issue beyond their own self pity, and provides another example of the conservative tactic of deflecting. And it's laughable because as a white male, I know it's a much easier ride in American society, yet the con has to cry victim. Boo-hoo.

I became a liberal, progressive by watching the Sunday morning political talk shows, and seeing clearly that what comes out of conservative mouths in nonsense. Just like I became an aetheist by going to church and reading the Bible.

[Guitar102]

05:18 PM on 04/02/2012

This cartoon is totally irresponsible, racist, and offensive and I loved it!

[intawork]

10:59 PM on 04/02/2012

It came straight off a KKK internet site...

[pdmlynek]

11:50 PM on 04/02/2012

Actually, according to the article, it came from The Daily Texan website, not a KKK site. Or do you have some other information?

[Burn Adams]

04:05 PM on 04/02/2012

This illustrates perfectly what liberals think of the freedom of speech and the free press. They believe it doesn't apply to ideas that they don't agree with.

[Maderous]

09:10 PM on 04/02/2012

Dude, didn't go to jail. He got to say what he wanted and he can continue. Freedom of Speech doesn't mean he gets to use someone else's forum to speak or that people have to be made to listen to it. Freedom of Speech doesn't mean there aren't social consequences, it means you wont go to jail.

[RLaitres]

09:41 PM on 04/02/2012

Well, those of us who know how to read, and understand it is what we are reading, note that what the so-called "conservatives" is not that they don't have "free speech" or don't exercise it, but rather that they don't want to be challenged or criticized. To put it another way, the "poor little tykes" want to dictate, not discuss or engage in any type of argumentation; i.e. "I have spoken, so there." It is really quite sad.

[falonia]

02:44 PM on 04/02/2012

The best thing I read in this thread is that DT withdrew the cartoon and apologized. They seem to understand what they did.

The worst thing I read on this thread was the hatred expressed by both "sides" A lot of "isms" being tossed abound. Racism, elitism, socialism liberalism,conservatism, etc. It is the hate that worries me the most! I, too, am intolerant of racism. However, the key is education not name calling. One expects a University to rise above the fray. Satire is a great tool, but has a fine edge that must be honed before releasing it for the pervue of the public That said, when subjects like The Civil War, the War with Mexico, slavery come up one wonders if there is not a bigger problem.

I think it is certainly an education problem. Why does the color of ones skin, the nature of one's culture, what one wears, what one eats, how one speaks make a difference? Unless we deal with this issue in this society, the hatred in these arguments will continue.

All of us need to rise above the fray and look at the basic human issue in this case. We should find any killing in this society abhorrent.This is not a Texas issue or a Florida issue it is a national issue. We keep not solving it ad nauseum. Why? Because we prioritize everything but education, Education is the only thing that will stop the racism and the hate that it brings.

[Boomer in Itasca]

02:54 AM on 04/03/2012

What a wonderful post!

Allow me the honor of being your newest fan.

[dumbfish]

11:35 AM on 04/03/2012

falonia, your comment is a philosophy I try to follow. To live and strive for equality and fairness is enlightened and rewarding to my human spirit. It brings inner rewards to my life.
The daily prejudices are fogs of misunderstanding and self weakness. Education, knowledge
and understanding, are a healthy rising road. Your comment tends me to think, you walk a fine road, and a good rising example... Blind minds do blink occasionally [meaning light does enter] if their brief exposure alights upon a good example....oops sorry, there i go hoping again. I try to live and behave how i want the world to. I don't effect the world, but it powerfully affects me! In a good way. F&F falonia.

[falonia]

12:41 PM on 04/03/2012

Thanks, we apparently walk similar roads. However, as I age, I suffer from impatience with those who don't follow a similar paradigm.

Short Story:: I was in Ireland during 9/11. I walked into a print shop as a woman was screen printing a wonderful print, the word "Hope" in Gaelic, in a Book of Kells script. I bought the first copy, she was ecstatic that I was an American. It hands in my den. I look at it daily and never forget what it means. Peace

[Sophist FCD]

02:30 PM on 04/02/2012

Because everyone knows the legal system and society in general is biased against us po' white folk, yes siree.

[AChangeIsComing]

02:24 PM on 04/02/2012

As an African-American woman, while I object to the language form in which the message was delivered, I think the overall message was a legitimate commentary: that some media outlets have not been evenhanded in its coverage.

However, the creator, herself, is not being evenhanded. Her message appears to convey that Trayvon was in fact not innocent and that his race somehow was proof of it and that Zimmerman is being made out to be a "mythical big bad wolf." If she feels that the media veered too far in favor of Trayvon, then I would argue that her commentary veers too far in favor of Zimmerman. A good cartoon plays on and incorporates facts, not opinions.

[senseandsensibility9]

03:24 PM on 04/02/2012

Well said.

[pdmlynek]

12:07 AM on 04/03/2012

I agree with you that reporters should report, and media should publish, facts in an evenhanded manner. They owe that to the readers. However, that does not always have to be the case -- the big exception where events are not discussed evenhandedly is the Opinion Page. This cartoon (as with most cartoons) was published on the Opinion page. Although this cartoon is offensive, it is not inappropriate simply because it represents only one viewpoint.

[Giglawyer]

02:23 PM on 04/02/2012

Well, lets see...

(1) Initally, the media bent over backwards to portray Zimmerman as guilty;
(2) Intially, the media bent over backwards to portray Martin as innocent;
(3) Now, the best we can seem to get is a daily helping of character assassination from both sides, and the media is glad to fill our plates with it;
(4) Somewhere two important messages got lost: (a) that everyone is innocent until proven guilty; and (b) there are two sides to every story, but only one truth.

The problem is that the media can't wait for the truth, because by then the truth will be old news, and won't sell advertisements.

[HearMeNow1959]

03:11 PM on 04/02/2012

Well, let's see......

People may THINK Zimmerman is guilty, but all they're really asking for is "Justice". That means an arrest and a trial. THEN, the truth will come out.

[bklynsparrow]

01:43 AM on 04/03/2012

You nailed it.

[BruceColorado]

10:07 PM on 04/02/2012

"that everyone is innocent until proven guilty"
A clarification: In the eyes of the law that is true, but the guilty are guilty, and the innocent are innocent, whether the court decides or not.

[Giglawyer]

10:13 AM on 04/03/2012

And what manner do you utilize to determine guilt or innocence?

[orkt]

02:04 PM on 04/02/2012

There are so many reasons that this cartoon should never have been run before we even get to the offensive of the content: the guy can't draw, he can't write, there is nothing funny or poignant here (even if you agree with the idea being expressed). It is pure, unfiltered back of the napkin crap that should be discarded with the spilled beer it should be used to wipe up. (and yes, I am qualified to make these assertions)

[KingKrub]

01:52 PM on 04/02/2012

I would have fired the "artist" for their poor drawing skills.

[Isaiah Ellison]

01:47 PM on 04/02/2012

This is amazing. A black child is killed and some white people think they are automatic victims. Unreal.

[firstcougar1]

01:52 PM on 04/02/2012

can't you at least offer an intelligent response to this story? Last time I checked no one in this great country of ours has been decapitated for insulting Islam or the so-called liberal media. If you wanted to be taken seriously you should say something worth discussing. maybe you just like to spew crap

[Noble9]

02:09 PM on 04/02/2012

The world doesn't end at the borders of the U.S.