Washington-based cartoonist steps down following newspaper's decision not to print satirical depiction involving Bezos and Trump.
Washington-based cartoonist steps down following newspaper's decision not to print satirical depiction involving Bezos and Trump.
Since 2008, Talnaes, an established figure at The Post, shared in a Substack post her decision to part ways, stating, "I've never had a cartoon rejected due to the targets it aimed at, but that changes now."
The controversial illustration showcased Bezos, Zuckerberg, and Altman, from Meta and OpenAI, prostrate, offering sacks of money to a Trump statue, accompanied by Soon-Shiong, LA Times' owner, with a lipstick, and an obeisant Mickey Mouse.
Talnaes explained the cartoon was a critique of "tech and media moguls trying to win favor with the incoming President-elect Trump," lampooning "men with significant government contracts and a desire to relax regulations, making their way to Mar-a-lago."
The Post's decision to not publish the cartoon was, according to Talnaes, a turning point, impinging on "the free press's independence."
David Shipley, The Post's opinions editor, offered his viewpoint in a statement, expressing respect for Talnaes but disagreeing with her perspective. He cited that the decision was largely due to previous coverage of the topic and a scheduled satirical piece. In his words, "Balance was the intention, not a denial of free speech."
Talnaes' departure was yet another significant loss for The Post, which has suffered from the exodus of key personnel and high-profile journalists following Bezos' decision to withdraw support for Harris' endorsement weeks before the election. This action had resulted in a mass cancellation of subscriptions, with over 250,000 readers discontinuing their ties with The Post.
Amidst this, Bezos shared a meal with Trump at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago. Subsequently, Amazon donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration. Disney, ABC's parent company, resolved a defamation lawsuit against Trump, awarding him $15 million. Lastly, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, also pledged $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, following an exclusive meeting between Zuckerberg and Trump.
The LA Times, owned by biotech billionaire Soon-Shiong, also announced in October that it would refrain from endorsing Harris, which triggered a subscriber uproar and the resignation of the majority of its editorial board, leaving only a single member behind.
The media coverage of tech companies' interactions with the incoming President-elect Trump became a topic of debate in the business world, with Talnaes' cartoon leading the discussion. Despite Talnaes' belief that The Post's decision not to publish her cartoon infringed on the free press, other media outlets, such as the LA Times, eventually decided to avoid endorsing certain political candidates to maintain their business relationships.