WaPo removed Hamas cartoon due to staff’s ‘serious concerns,’ internal memo suggests.
Sally Buzbee Addresses Concerns Over Controversial Cartoon
Sally Buzbee, the executive editor of the Washington Post, sent an email to staff members on Wednesday night acknowledging their “many deep concerns and conversations” about a cartoon criticizing Hamas that the newspaper earlier in the day published and then deleted.
In the email, obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, Buzbee wrote:
Dear colleagues,
Given the many deep concerns and conversations today in our newsroom, I wanted to ensure everyone saw the notes sent out tonight by The Post’s opinions editor, David Shipley, to Post readers and to his staff in opinions.
My best, Sally
Buzbee forwarded an email that Shipley had sent opinions staff in which he said he had personally “taken down” the cartoon. Shipley included the full text of an editor’s note in which he publicly expressed “regret” that he had “missed something profound, and divisive” in publishing the image.
“A cartoon published by Michael Ramirez on the war in Gaza, a cartoon whose publication I approved, was seen by many readers as racist. This was not my intent. I saw the drawing as a caricature of a specific individual, the Hamas spokesperson, who celebrated the attacks on unarmed civilians in Israel,” Shipley wrote.
The cartoon depicted an individual, labeled “Hamas,” with children, a baby, and a woman strapped to his body. “How dare Israel attack civilians…,” the man said in a speech bubble.
Along with Shipley’s editor’s note, the Post published letters to the editor that variously called the cartoon ”deeply malicious,” “deeply racist,” and “full of bias and prejudice.”
The Post also reported on Wednesday evening about its removal of the cartoon by Ramirez, who twice won the Pulitzer Prize at the Las Vegas Review-Journal before joining the Post in May. The report said “the drawing was criticized as racist and dehumanizing toward Palestinians” and described the Hamas caricature as having a “large nose and snarling mouth.”
Hamas has a history of using civilians as “human shields.” The Biden administration has repeatedly said the Palestinian terrorist group is doing so in its ongoing war with Israel. The Post‘s own reporting has noted accusations that Hamas seeks to avoid Israeli strikes by operating from densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip, including under hospitals and preventing civilians from evacuating.
As is standard for political cartoonists, Ramirez has often exaggerated the facial features of his subjects of all races, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.). During the 2014 Gaza war, the Post published a cartoon showing Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu punching a Palestinian infant.
Neither Ramirez nor Buzbee responded to requests for comment.
How can diversity and inclusion in newsrooms help identify potential biases or harmful content before it is published and ensure accurate representation of different viewpoints and experiences
“offensive and harmful.” The article explained that the decision to remove the cartoon was made after the opinion editor, David Shipley, realized that it had been interpreted differently than intended and had caused offense to readers.
The controversy surrounding the cartoon highlights the challenges that news organizations face in striking a balance between freedom of expression and avoiding the promotion of harmful stereotypes or perpetuating bias. It also raises questions about the editorial process and the responsibility of editors to ensure that content published in their publications does not cross ethical boundaries or cause harm.
In his editor’s note, Shipley acknowledged that the cartoon had been seen as racist and expressed regret for not recognizing the potential for offense before it was published. He explained that he viewed the cartoon as a caricature of a specific individual, the Hamas spokesperson, rather than a depiction of Palestinians as a whole. However, it became evident that many readers had interpreted it differently, seeing it as a dehumanizing portrayal of Palestinians and perpetuating harmful stereotypes.
The decision to remove the cartoon was a response to the concerns expressed by readers and staff members of the Washington Post. It reflects a commitment to listen to feedback and take responsibility for mistakes. While freedom of expression is a fundamental value in journalism, it should not be used as a justification for publishing content that is offensive or harmful.
The incident also serves as a reminder of the importance of diversity and inclusion in newsrooms. An editorial process that includes diverse perspectives and voices can help identify potential biases or harmful content before it is published. It can also help ensure that different viewpoints and experiences are represented accurately and respectfully.
In conclusion, the controversy over the cartoon published by the Washington Post highlights the challenges faced by news organizations in navigating the delicate balance between freedom of expression and avoiding the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes. The decision to remove the cartoon was a response to the concerns expressed by readers and staff members. It underscores the importance of listening to feedback, taking responsibility for mistakes, and fostering diversity and inclusion in newsrooms. Moving forward, it is crucial for news organizations to reflect on and learn from such incidents to ensure that their content upholds the highest standards of journalism.
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