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AAEC - Editorial Cartoon News
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September 16, 2002
"Do We Still Matter?"
A panel of editorial page editors contemplate our future
In the last few years, editorial cartoonists have watched as the behavior of so many public figures grew so ridiculous that professional parody seemed redundant, seen an explosion of online smart alecks whose amateur work often supplanted our own in the public eye, and, after 9/11, were told ‘Irony is Dead.’
With staff positions going unfilled, or eliminated all together, is it any wonder we sometimes wonder if we still matter?
A panel discussion on Friday morning of the 2002 convention attempted to address this question. Moderated by Matt Davies, the panel included Steve Hess, a Senior Fellow at the Brookins Institute, and editorial page editors Richard Argood of the Newark Star Ledger, Fred Hiatt of The Washington Post and Carol Stevens of USA Today.
While all agreed there are days when even the worst cartoonists can piss somebody off, the panel didn’t hesitate in questioning the quality of most people’s daily output.
"Cartoonists lost their edge after 9/11," said Steve Hess. "There has been a recovery since then – you’re starting to question the war, and that’s a healthy sign."
Carol Stevens was more blunt: "When you do it [ie, deliver a great cartoon], you do it well; that’s what we’re looking for and don’t always find."
Richard Argood touched upon a topic long debated among some cartoonists: the ‘gag’ toon vs. hard-hitting commentary – saying the idea of editorial cartoons providing nothing more than "giggles" is something that "pervades much of our readership."
He mentioned a few of the better names who used to do cartooning. "What I loved about these old guys .... was the pure meanness. I sort of miss that basic nastiness."
Hiatt was quick to agree this was a quality most cartoonists today lacked. "There is a line between a hard hitting [cartoon] and a cheap shot ... it’s a hard line to find."
Most of the panel agreed a lot of cartoons they see today are just "boring."
In response, Steve Benson, in a comment from the floor, laid the blame back at the feet of the editors.
"Editors want us to be ‘fair,’ not opinionated," he said. When cartoonists do hand in strong cartoons, an editor is just as likely to kill it to avoid offending a reader or advertiser.
Stevens said the problem was compounded by a changing demographic. "There used to be two papers [in most towns]: one for the left, one for the right. Now there’s only one."
There is now a broader audience to please, she said. "The readers aren’t just white males ... our readers demand diversity ... and fairness."
Stevens mentioned the difficulties in finding minority and female cartoonists to reach this new audience. (At which point Ann Telnaes, standing in the wings, shouted out "Why don’t you hire us?")
Another audience member questioned the panel as to the lengths they actually went to to find work from cartoonists working at small, ethnic newspapers. Did The Post, USA Today and other large, mainstream papers rely solely on the big syndicates for their material?
Stevens and the other editors admitted they had a "haphazard way of gathering cartoons together" for their weekly roundups.
"We would love to see more cartoons," she said. "There has to be a better way."
Seizing upon this, Matt Davies then asked the panel members to list their fax number so cartoonists in the audience could send work directly to them.
(Those numbers, by the way, are: The Washington Post, 202-334-5269; USA Today, 703-854-2053 and the Journal News, Matt Davies newspaper, 973-392-5845.)
It wasn’t all cartoonist and editor bashing. Richard Argood was quick to admit syndication has hurt cartooning, and the failure of larger newspapers to fill open positions has hurt the visibility and viability of the medium.
"[Though] I wouldn’t hold my breath for [them] to hire somebody," he added. "Publishers don’t give a rat’s ass about us."
Steve Hess said the current economy didn’t help either. Just like other cycles, however, things will change. "The major papers are going to find cartoonists again."
Hess later said one had to try and keep thing in perspective. "For as long as I’ve been going to [newspaper industry] conventions, they reminded me of Buggy Whip Conventions.
"We worry that newspapers are going down the tubes, and our fate is tied to them," said Hess. "That doesn’t have to be the case.
"I see a bright future with more and more computer-driven work. A cartoonist that covers the whole screen [with work] becomes more valuable.
"Left and right wing will find a niche audience online."
The panel all agreed that, wherever we seek out an audience, our work had to have impact.
Hiatt admitted: "cartoonists figure out what most things are before anyone else does – that’s what give a cartoon [real] impact."
Added Steve Hess: "I have seen more edge, tied in well to the headlines, but if you’re slightly ahead of the curve? That’s were you want to be."
– reporting by J.P. Trostle
caricatures by R.C. Harvey
