WaPo Editor Explains Decision to Ax Bezos, Trump Cartoon
Washington Post opinion editor David Shipley on Friday explained to staff why he didn’t publish former Post cartoonist Ann Telnaes’ depiction of the paper’s owner, Jeff Bezos, and other billionaires offering sacks of cash to Donald Trump.
In a memo obtained by former CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy’s newsletter, Status, Shipley said he nixed the cartoon because it was too similar to the theme of a previously published column, as well as a satire piece that was being drafted.
“Yet another piece in the span of a few days struck me as overkill,” Shipley wrote.
“This is a subjective judgment, but it is a subjective judgment in sync with a longstanding approach,” he continued. “In my time here, we have focused on reducing the number of articles we publish on a given topic and from the same point of view within a given time frame—all as a way to improve the overall quality and variety of our report."
“To that same end, I did not feel the cartoon was strong. Could it have been made better? Possibly,” Shipley went on. “In fact, we’d recently worked with Ann on a cartoon that had gone through edits and was published after she and editors had finished working together.”
Shipley also said that, before deciding not to publish, he didn’t consult Bezos or publisher Will Lewis.
After quitting the paper over Shipley’s decision, Telnaes wrote on her Substack that the cartoon was nixed because of its content.
“I’ve worked for The Washington Post since 2008 as an editorial cartoonist,” she wrote then. “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."
In response, Shipley, as he told staff Friday, said he disagreed with Telnaes’ interpretation of what transpired, and mentioned how his judgment was aimed at avoiding “repetition.”
Shipley explained further:
Now let me share a couple broader thoughts. Do I pay extra attention if Jeff is in a column or a cartoon or the subject of a story? Of course I do. Does this prevent us from commenting on him? No. Look at the record. The two other pieces we ran – pieces I saw and was aware of – should dispel that bit of mythology. Do we allow dissent? Yes. Erik Wemple published a chat taking issue with my actions. Letters to the editor will do the same. If you have additional doubts, look at our published response to the decision not to run a presidential endorsement. If the work is good, if it is relevant, if it advances the story, we’ll publish it. This is my prism.
Status
Another cartoon by Telnaes that was critical of Bezos—one which did get published—drew attention shortly before the election. After Bezos refused to allow the paper’s editorial board to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, Telnaes drew a piece that shares the name of the Post’s Trump-era slogan, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” The cartoon is simply streaks of dark paint in no discernible shape.
Telnaes denied that the cartoon of Bezos was drawn after it became known that Bezos’ Amazon would be making a $1 million donation to Trump’s inaugural committee.
