Death of Editorial Cartoons No Laughing Matter

Though largely unremarked upon by those in charge of the words in the nation's news outlets, the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists staged a nationwide protest yesterday. Black Ink Monday comprises more than a hundred cartoons, "unleashing... biting commentary on the current state of affairs in the newspaper business, with a specific emphasis on corporate downsizing," according to the group's press release.

Editor & Publisher, which reported that traffic at the AAEC site was up, notes that the protest, "a response to the Tribune Company's recent elimination of editorial cartooning positions at several of its newspapers, as well as a commentary on newspapers everywhere who have lost sight of the value of having a staff editorial cartoonist," is more than just picture. E&P quotes the call for action: "Are you as mad as we are? If so, tell it to the Tribune Company's Gary Weitman, VP of Corporate Communications: [e-mail]" Weitman did not say how many emails he has received.

Mike Fitts, associate editor and columnist at The State in Columbia, SC, paints a fuller picture of the current state of editorial cartoons.

The number of cartoonists regularly running in daily newspapers now appears to be about 80, while in 1980 that number likely exceeded 150. And with newspapers under increasing pressure to make money, their numbers are dwindling faster.

In October, the Los Angeles Times laid off Michael Ramirez, its Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist. It has no plans to fill the position, opting instead to buy syndicated cartoons from artists working in other cities. The Times is now owned by the Tribune Co., which also owns The Baltimore Sun. The cartoonist there is taking the buyout package offered to reduce staffing; I would not expect him to be replaced.

The Chicago Tribune, the chain's flagship paper, never has replaced the late Jeff MacNelly, who died in 2000. His was one of the most prestigious posts in cartooning, at the biggest of two scrappy, competitive newspapers in a huge market, and it went unfilled. And it's not like they had no good candidates.

E&P quotes AAEC president-elect Rob Rogers as doubting that the protest will have any effect on the Tribune Co., but "he hopes the protest might make some papers think twice about dropping a cartoonist in the future." Rogers draws for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (one of the very few newspapers with two editorial cartoonists) and is syndicated through United Media. Many newspapers forgoing a staff cartoonist are picking up syndicated cartoons, a decision Rogers questions, telling E&P a paper without a staff cartoonist is more "homogenous" and "vapid," which "doesn't sound like a great business decision."